Women, Muslim-majority districts face highest voter deletions in Bihar draft roll: Report

(Representative Image)

Women and residents of Muslim-majority districts constituted the largest share of deletions from Bihar’s draft electoral roll, published on August 1 following a Special Intensive Revision (SIR), according to EC data analysed by Scroll.

Out of approximately 6.56 million names removed, 55 per cent were women, even though women represent only 47.7 per cent of the state's electorate. In 43 out of 243 assembly constituencies, more than 60 per cent of deletions involved women.

The highest rate of female deletions was recorded in Rajpur (Kaimur district), which is a Scheduled Caste reserved seat, where 69 per cent of exclusions were women, the report said.

Among districts with significant Muslim populations, Purnia, Kishanganj, Madhubani, Bhagalpur, and Sitamarhi were prominently featured among the top ten for voter name deletions.

In Purnia, where Muslims make up roughly 38.5 per cent of the population, over 273,000 names were removed. Madhubani had 352,000 deletions, East Champaran saw 316,000, and Sitamarhi accounted for 245,000 deletions.

The Election Commission clarified that deletions occurred for several reasons, including deaths (about 2.2 million), permanent migration or being untraceable (about 3.6 million), and multiple enrollments (about 700,000), the report added.

The Special Intensive Revision (SIR), initiated by the Election Commission on June 24, 2025, required every elector in Bihar to submit an enumeration form to qualify for inclusion on the voter list.

Eligible voters who submitted their forms by the July 25 deadline were included in the draft roll published on August 1. A one-month window for claims and objections is open until September 1.

This process aims to ensure the accuracy of the electoral roll by removing ineligible entries, including deceased individuals, migrants, and duplicates.