The Election Commission has finalized the initial phase of the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) in Bihar. Following the revision, the state now has 72.4 million registered voters, with approximately 6.5 million names removed from the voter list. The deletions primarily encompass deceased individuals, those who have relocated, and those living abroad. The Election Commission reported that as of June 24, 2025, the state’s voter count was 78.9 million.
Over 72.4 million voters submitted their enumeration forms. The final data for the initial SIR phase reveals 72.4 million voters. Names of 6.5 million individuals were removed due to reasons such as death, migration, foreign residency, or permanent relocation. Key data points include:
* 72.4 million forms collected.
* 2.2 million deceased voters.
* 3.6 million migrants.
* 700,000 permanent relocation cases.
**Growth in the Number of BLOs**
The Election Commission has attributed the success of the first phase of SIR to the collaborative efforts of the Chief Executive Officer of Bihar, District Election Officers across all 38 districts, 243 Electoral Registration Officers (EROs), 2,976 Assistant Electoral Registration Officers (AEROs), the BLOs stationed at 77,895 polling stations, numerous volunteers, and regional representatives from all 12 major political parties, including 160,000 Booth Level Agents (BLAs). The total number of BLAs increased by over 16% during the SIR period.
**SIR Launched in June**
SIR was initiated in Bihar on June 24, 2025. The initiative aimed to remove names of deceased, relocated, and duplicate-registered voters from the voter list and to add eligible voters. BLOs and BLAs conducted door-to-door surveys to collect enumeration forms. The first phase was nearly completed by July 25, with 99.8% voter coverage.
The Commission announced that from August 1 to September 1, 2025, eligible voters who may have been omitted would have the opportunity to be included in the draft electoral roll. Voters found to be registered in multiple locations will be listed in only one place. This initiative, which started in Bihar, is planned to be implemented nationwide.
**Bihar SIR Sparks Controversy**
The SIR process has faced continued controversy in Bihar. It’s the most extensive revision since 2003. The RJD-Congress alliance, along with other opposition parties, alleges that SIR is a conspiracy designed to disenfranchise the poor, Dalits, backward classes, and minorities. They have described SIR as a ‘backdoor NRC’. Opposition parties claim that many families lack essential documents like birth certificates. Since only 2.8% of people in Bihar possessed birth certificates between 2001-2005, millions may be at risk of being removed from the voter rolls. Tejashwi Yadav has asserted that the revision is designed to benefit the NDA.