The Election Commission of India (ECI) has made an important move towards transparency and accountability by publishing the names of 6.5 million voters removed from the Bihar draft electoral roll after the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) exercise.
This action follows a directive from the Supreme Court, which ordered the ECI to disclose the names of these excluded voters along with the specific reasons for their removal.
The list is now available on the official website of the Office of the Chief Electoral Officer (CEO) Bihar. It offers a detailed account for each individual. The information includes the voter’s serial number, EPIC (Electoral Photo Identity Card) number, name, relationship type, and the name of a relative. The list also includes the old part and serial numbers from the 2025 voter list, as well as the voter’s age and gender.
A notable aspect of this publication is that it provides clear reasons for not being included in the draft roll published on August 1. According to a notice from the Bihar CEO’s office, Booth Level Officers (BLOs) created the list with help from political parties’ booth-level agents, local representatives, and other officials. This teamwork aimed to identify voters whose enumeration slips were not collected, leading to their exclusion.
The ECI’s initiative aims to empower citizens and ensure a fair electoral process. It offers a clear way for anyone who thinks their name was wrongfully removed to file a claim. The notice states that individuals who are unhappy with their removal can submit their claim with a copy of their Aadhaar card. This allows them to challenge their exclusion and be added back to the electoral roll. This step is especially important in poll-bound Bihar, where a trustworthy voter list is crucial for credible elections. Publishing this list is a key measure to ensure that no eligible citizen is left out.
