Election Commission Removes 6.5 Million Names in Bihar Draft Rolls

Updated draft voter lists for Bihar, where crucial elections are planned for November, were just made public by the Indian Election Commission.  This update came after officials validated the information of around 79 million voters over the course of a month-long procedure known as the Special Intensive Revision (SIR).

 There are 72.4 million names on the new draft list, 6.5 million fewer than the previous one.  According to the commission, the names that were deleted included duplicates, deceased individuals, and persons who had left Bihar.Corrections to the list are open until September 1, and more than 165,000 correction requests have been received. A similar voter review will happen across India soon.

However, opposition parties and election groups say the revision was rushed and flawed. Many voters have reported errors like wrong photos and names of deceased people still on the list. Some opposition leaders accuse the commission of removing many Muslim voters, especially in border districts, to help Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s party win. The Election Commission and BJP deny these claims and say only genuine voters are included.

The commission has not shared detailed information about who was removed, making it hard to verify the accusations. A newspaper review found many deletions in areas with large Muslim populations, but not everywhere.

Opposition members in parliament have protested and demanded a debate, calling the revision a threat to democracy. The Supreme Court is reviewing the issue after a watchdog group raised concerns about the timing and fairness of the process.

Critics say the revision puts the burden on voters to prove their citizenship by providing documents quickly, which is difficult for poor and migrant workers. Many people in rural villages said they were unaware of the revision or visited by officials, but they fear losing their right to vote, which is very important to them.

Some voters shared examples of errors in the draft list, including wrong photos and duplicated names. These mistakes have caused confusion and anger among locals.

Opposition parties say the revision was poorly done and politically motivated. The ruling parties say the process is necessary to clean the voter list and remove illegal names.

The controversy has divided Bihar’s political parties, with opposition demanding more transparency and time to fix the voter lists, while the government insists the commission is doing its job correctly.