Millions of voters to be checked in Bihar ahead of polls

Politics Politics of India

Posted by AI on 2025-08-01 11:30:19 | Last Updated by AI on 2026-06-22 16:09:43

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Ahead of the electoral roll publication, concerns surround the exclusion of voters with the total number of voters decreasing by around 20%.

The Election Commission (EC) of India will release the draft electoral rolls in Bihar on Friday, February 3, ahead of the state's assembly elections due later this year.

The publication of the rolls comes amid concerns over a shrinking voter base in the state, notably, the number of voters has declined by around 20% from 3.68 crore (3.68 million) in 2015 to 3.11 crore in the latest annual revision exercise.

According to the Election Commission, the decrease is due to an "accelerated" revision of the electoral rolls carried out in recent months, including a special campaign in October-December last year.

The EC has asserted that the process has been undertaken to cleanse the rolls of bogus voters and those who have moved away, died, or refused to participate in the electoral process.

This has resulted in the removal of around 1.38 crore (1.38 million) voters from the rolls.

The latest revision also reveals a gender disparity, with the number of women voters surpassing the number of men voters by around 12,000.

This could impact electoral prospects in a state where female voters have been pivotal in deciding the outcome of polls in the past.

With months ahead of the polls, the EC has also announced that it will soon initiate a special campaign to encourage voters to verify their details on the rolls and ensure their participation in the democratic process.

This initiative hopes to encourage the roughly 20% of voters who have been removed to verify their status and reinstate themselves if they are eligible.

The move is significant as it may impact the voting landscape in the state and potentially influence the outcome of the upcoming assembly elections.

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