by Apurva Priya
Patna : With Bihar heading towards Assembly elections, a major row has erupted over the Election Commission’s move to delete over 52 lakh names from the state’s voter list under a Special Intensive Revision (SIR) drive.
The Election Commission clarified that the deletions include 18 lakh deceased voters, 26 lakh who migrated, and 7 lakh duplicate entries—all identified through door-to-door verification, Aadhaar matching, and technical audits. Officials said the step was necessary to correct large-scale discrepancies, including cases of duplicate voting and votes in the names of the dead.
However, the Opposition is up in arms, alleging foul play. Parties like RJD, Congress, and the Left accused the Commission of acting at the behest of the ruling BJP-led alliance. They claim the cleanup targeted voters likely to support the Opposition and have demanded transparency.
The Commission, meanwhile, maintains that data was collected from municipal bodies, gram panchayats, and health departments to verify deceased and migrated individuals. Migration remains a key factor in Bihar, with lakhs moving out for jobs and education—contributing to the 26 lakh names removed.
As the political temperature rises, the voter list purge has now become a key flashpoint in the run-up to the polls, with both sides trading accusations over electoral manipulation.
