The voter roll cleanup in Bihar has sparked concern, with data pointing to a disproportionate impact on eastern districts like Araria, Purnia, Katihar, and Bhagalpur. With over 68 million forms collected as part of the Election Commission of India’s (ECI) Special Intensive Revision, approximately 35 lakh names could be deleted from the voter list. While the exercise is presented as a routine effort to remove duplicates, deceased individuals, and relocated voters, the timing and regional concentration of deletions raise critical questions about its fairness and potential political implications.
Eastern Bihar stands out for the scale of deletions. On average, over 3,000 names are being deleted or shifted per constituency in this region, a figure significantly higher than the state average. Constituencies such as Rupauli (6,275 deletions), Beldaur (5,707), and Bhagalpur (5,319) have flagged voter numbers that rival the winning margins of the 2020 Assembly elections. Even southern constituencies like Warsaliganj have seen 8,399 voters flagged, a number large enough to influence closely contested seats.
This pattern is not random. Eastern Bihar has historically seen high migration rates, alongside large minority and economically weaker populations. As a result, the requirement for residents to repeatedly prove their citizenship, identity, and residence creates additional hurdles for these vulnerable groups. The cleanup drive, launched on June 24, 2025, has required millions of voters — some registered as far back as 2003 — to submit fresh documents, often within short deadlines.
While the ECI reports that 86.32% of all forms have already been collected, the numbers tell a deeper story. Out of the estimated 35.5 lakh deletions, 12.5 lakh are deceased voters, 17.5 lakh are those permanently shifted, and 5.5 lakh are duplicates. However, the heavy clustering of deletions in East Bihar suggests a demographic tilt that could significantly alter the voter base of certain constituencies.
The opposition has raised sharp concerns about the timing and fairness of this revision, particularly with Assembly elections around the corner. Congress leader Rahul Gandhi recently accused the BJP of attempting “Chunav Chori” (election theft) in Bihar, drawing parallels with controversies in other states. While the ECI maintains that the cleanup is purely administrative and aimed at ensuring fair polls, the lack of transparency in explaining the high concentration of deletions fuels political suspicion.
Legal scrutiny also looms over the process. The Supreme Court has stressed that verification must rely on credible documents like Aadhaar, ration cards, and voter IDs to ensure fairness. Without a transparent verification mechanism, the deletions risk being viewed as arbitrary or discriminatory.
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The bigger question is whether this cleanup, while necessary to maintain accurate rolls, is being implemented uniformly. Voter deletions exceeding past election margins in key seats such as Kishanganj, Dhoraiya, and Raniganj could reshape electoral outcomes. For a state where closely contested seats can decide political power, this exercise has far-reaching implications.
The ECI insists that no eligible voter will be left out, with booth-level officers conducting door-to-door verifications to reach those yet to submit forms. However, with just 10 days left to complete the process, concerns remain about whether all voters, particularly those in remote or marginalized communities, will be able to comply.
This cleanup is not just a bureaucratic exercise — it’s a test of electoral integrity. The concentration of voter deletions in eastern Bihar could tilt the balance in several constituencies, triggering political tension ahead of the Assembly elections. For the ECI, maintaining trust and transparency is critical to ensure that the revision is seen as fair and not as a tool of manipulation.
Unless the commission addresses these concerns openly and ensures all eligible voters are included, the cleanup could become a flashpoint in Bihar’s political landscape. With 68.1 million forms already collected and only 7.2 million pending, the final days of this drive will determine whether Bihar’s voter rolls reflect fairness or fuel further controversy.
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