New Delhi: The Election Commission of India (ECI) has clarified the reason behind the 65 lakh gap in Bihar’s draft voter list, which came to light during the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) process. In a press release on Friday, the ECI stated that Enumeration Forms for 7.24 crore electors were collected out of around eight crore forms that had been distributed or downloaded in the state.
The Commission explained that the shortfall was due to several factors, including voters who had moved to other states or Union Territories, individuals who were found to be deceased, and others who either failed to return their forms before the July 25 deadline or declined to register as electors. Based on its data, the ECI attributed the gap to 22 lakh deceased persons, 36 lakh people who had either permanently relocated or could not be located, and 7 lakh names registered in multiple places.
The ECI stressed that the purpose of the SIR exercise is to make sure no eligible voter is left out and no ineligible name is included. It also noted that genuine voters still have the chance to be added during the Claims and Objections period, which runs from August 1 to September 1, 2025.
According to the Commission, no political party has so far submitted claims or objections regarding the draft electoral rolls, which were published on August 1. However, it confirmed receiving 6,257 claims and objections directly from individual voters. Reiterating its commitment to a clean and accurate voter roll, the ECI assured that the final list will be both updated and verified before publication.
