New Delhi:
The Election Commission of India (ECI) has published the details of nearly 65 lakh voters deleted from Bihar’s draft electoral rolls, following a Supreme Court directive issued on August 14, 2025. The data was uploaded within 56 hours of the court order and is now available on the websites of district magistrates, the Chief Electoral Officer (CEO) of Bihar, and the ECI’s voter service portal.
According to the Commission, the deletions were made as part of the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of the electoral rolls, which political parties had demanded for over two decades. Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar stated that the exercise was aimed at cleaning the rolls and ensuring accuracy. He also clarified that each deletion was documented with signatures and video testimonials from booth-level agents and political party representatives.
Out of the 65 lakh names removed, around 36 lakh were identified as voters who had migrated out of the state, while nearly 22 lakh were reported as deceased. The published lists also include the reason for each deletion, along with details such as the voter’s EPIC number, name, relationship, old part number, age, and gender.
The ECI has allowed citizens and political parties to file claims and objections against deletions until September 1, 2025. After this date, no further challenges will be entertained. However, the Commission has maintained that CCTV footage of the revision process cannot be shared due to privacy concerns and previous Supreme Court directions.
The move has sparked sharp political reactions. Congress leader Rahul Gandhi, during his ‘Voter Adhikar Yatra,’ accused the Commission of engaging in “vote theft” to benefit the ruling BJP. He also criticized a 2023 law that he claimed shields election commissioners from accountability. In response, the ECI rejected his allegations as baseless and demanded that Gandhi either provide an affidavit within seven days or issue a public apology.
Opposition parties such as CPI-ML have also condemned the deletions, calling them an attack on the Constitution and alleging mass exclusions of migrants and marginalized groups. Analysts and observers have argued that the Commission’s defense relied too heavily on technical explanations without addressing broader concerns of disenfranchisement.
With the objection window open until September 1, the issue of voter deletions is expected to remain at the center of Bihar’s political discourse. The outcome of this process could have a significant impact on the state’s upcoming elections and public confidence in electoral integrity.