Bihar elections 2025: EC releases final voter list after extensive SIR exercise, dates likely next week 

The Election Commission of India on Tuesday published the final voter list for the Bihar Assembly elections, completing the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) exercise after more than two decades. Election Commission officials said voters can now check their details on the Commission’s website.  The assembly polls in the state will be conducted on the basis of this roll. The current Assembly’s term ends on November 22. 

The roll shows a rise in the number of registered voters compared to the draft list. In Patna district, the number of voters has gone up to 48,15,294 from 46,51,694 recorded in the draft released on August 1.  After a month of claims and objections, the district has added around 1.63 lakh names.

According to officials, Bihar had 7.89 crore voters before the revision began. The draft list published in August brought that number down to 7.24 crore, with over 65 lakh names deleted. Notices were issued to around 3 lakh voters.

 During the claims and objections period, 2.17 lakh people sought removal of their names, while 16.93 lakh applied for inclusion. Between August 1 and September 1 alone, more than 16.5 lakh voters filed Form-6 for new registration.

Applications submitted in September are now being processed. Under the rules, voters can still apply for inclusion up to 10 days before the last date of nomination. These names will be added through a supplementary list.

Meanwhile, Chief Election Commissioner Rajiv Kumar and fellow commissioners SS Sandhu and Vineet Joshi will visit Bihar on October 4 and 5 to review preparations. They will meet political parties, officials, and civil society groups. Ahead of that, a meeting of poll observers is scheduled in Delhi on October 3. 

With the voter roll finalised and the review visit lined up, the election dates are expected to be announced next week. The publication of the final list is a key step ahead of the election schedule, which sources say is likely to be announced between October 6 and 7. 

The exercise has drawn sharp criticism from Opposition parties, who allege it was aimed at disenfranchising poor and minority voters. Congress leader Rahul Gandhi accused the Commission of working in favour of the BJP, citing data from several districts. Along with RJD leader Tejashwi Yadav, he has launched a “Voter Adhikar Yatra” in Bihar, calling the SIR a “vote theft” drive.

The matter is also before the Supreme Court. Petitioners have warned that lakhs could lose their voting rights. Justices Surya Kant and Joymalya Bagchi said they would not hesitate to strike down the rolls if irregularities are proven. They stressed “en masse inclusion” over “en masse exclusion” and allowed Aadhaar to be used as a valid ID despite concerns of misuse. The next hearing is scheduled for October 7.