Bihar SIR final voter list/sbkinews.in
Bihar is currently witnessing a tense political chess game revolving around the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of the voter list. While opposition parties have so far maintained silence and refrained from immediate comments on the final voter list published on Wednesday, there is growing anticipation that they will challenge the Election Commission aggressively after the Dussehra festival.
Sources reveal that the opposition, including the Congress and other allied parties in Bihar, is carefully studying the draft and final voter lists with their electoral and legal experts. They have focused on alleged irregularities and contradictions in the number of voters added and deleted during the SIR process.
Background on Bihar’s SIR Exercise
Conducted from June 24 to September 30, 2025, the SIR aimed to ensure a clean and updated electoral roll ahead of Bihar’s upcoming assembly elections. The voter list underwent extensive revision, starting with 7.89 crore electors and resulting in a final revised list of approximately 7.42 crore voters after removing about 65 lakh names due to death, migration, or duplication.
During the exercise, 21.53 lakh eligible voters were added while 3.66 lakh names were removed following claims and objections—a process that invited scrutiny and political debate.
The Special Intensive Revision (SIR) initiative in Bihar was one of the most extensive electoral roll revision exercises in recent history, involving a massive mobilization of over 1 lakh Booth Level Officers (BLOs) and hundreds of thousands of volunteers. The exercise aimed not only to remove duplicate, deceased, or ineligible voters but also to ensure every eligible citizen had a chance to register and vote. Citizens were able to submit claims and objections, and special urban camps were set up across thousands of wards to assist vulnerable groups such as senior citizens and persons with disabilities. Despite the scale and transparency efforts, opposition parties have voiced concerns over the deletions and urged a cautious approach to safeguard democratic rights.
Political Underpinnings and Opposition Concerns
Opposition parties have expressed skepticism over the massive deletions, which they claim could disenfranchise legitimate voters and skew the electoral outcome. The Congress-led Mahagathbandhan (Grand Alliance) has reportedly engaged its top electoral lawyers to assess grounds for a legal challenge based on alleged discrepancies in the final list.
While the Election Commission has maintained that the process was fair and adhered to constitutional mandates, opposition leaders argue that the revisions disproportionately impact specific demographics and political constituencies.
Expected Supreme Court Intervention
With such opposition intent to petition the Supreme Court, Bihar’s SIR final voter list may face judicial scrutiny over the coming weeks. Legal experts foresee a rigorous examination of claims regarding the inclusion and exclusion criteria, transparency of the revision process, and protection of voters’ rights under constitutional sections and the Representation of People Act.
The Election Commission has urged all stakeholders to allow the democratic process to proceed without disruption but remains open to hearing grievances through formal legal channels.
What Lies Ahead for Bihar Elections?
The political temperature in Bihar is expected to rise post-Dussehra, with the SIR voter list issue likely becoming a campaign flashpoint. Analysts believe how this dispute unfolds could significantly impact the credibility, participation, and legitimacy of the upcoming elections.
As the state gears up for potentially one of the most closely contested elections in recent years, stakeholders across the spectrum will closely watch the evolving legal and political developments around the SIR list.
The Election Commission of India has released the final voter list for the Bihar polls 2025 after the Special Intensive Revision (SIR). For detailed information and to check the final list, readers can visit ETV Bharat’s official report here.
For more comprehensive coverage and the latest updates shaping Bihar, visit our detailed roundup of the Top 10 Bihar News Updates on sbkinews.in.
