The Election Commission has released a detailed update on Bihar’s ongoing voter roll revision, showing a stark contrast between applications seeking deletions and those requesting additions.
According to the latest figures, nearly 197,000 objections have been filed to exclude names from the rolls, compared with just under 30,000 applications for inclusion. This is the first time the data has been shared in a disaggregated form, as earlier daily updates had combined both categories.
First-Time Voter Surge
A significant rise has been recorded in registrations from young voters. More than 1.33 million first-time voters—citizens who recently turned 18—have applied through Form-6 since the process began on August 1. Over 61,000 of these applications have already been processed, while electoral officials have cleared 33,771 other cases within the mandatory seven-day period.
If approved, the new applications could push the final electoral roll beyond the 72.4 million names published in the draft list.
Notices to Doubtful Voters
The Commission has also issued around 300,000 notices to voters flagged for “dubious” or “inadequate” citizenship credentials. Officials said many of these notices are concentrated in districts bordering Nepal and Bangladesh—such as Kishanganj, Katihar, Purnea, Supaul, Saharsha, West Champaran, and Madhubani—where migration concerns have been raised.
Officials clarified that the notices were sent only after field inquiries confirmed doubts over voter credentials.
Political Party Responses
Political engagement in the revision exercise has varied sharply. The CPI(ML)-Liberation has filed 117 exclusion forms and 15 inclusion requests, while the Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) submitted 10 inclusion applications. However, the ruling NDA allies—BJP, JD(U) and LJP (RV)—have filed none.
The RJD has alleged discrepancies in the process, claiming that while its booth-level agents submitted over 500 forms, most were rejected on technical grounds. Party spokesperson Chittaranjan Gagan said the matter has been taken to the Supreme Court, which is expected to hear their petition for an extension of the deadline.
What’s Next
With the September 1 deadline for claims and objections approaching, the final voter list will depend heavily on how quickly inclusion and exclusion applications are verified and processed.
Image Source: Google | Image Credit: Respective Owner
