Datanomics: Bihar SIR may shrink voters' strength to 55% of population

EC data shows 6.5 million names on exclusion list, pulling electorate below pre-Covid levels

The Election Commission on August 24 said that over 98 per cent of Bihar’s 72 million electors had submitted their documents within 60 days of the ongoing special intensive revision (SIR) of electoral rolls. Bihar’s electorate has grown from 56 million in 2011 to 78 million in 2024 — however, if the July 2025 revision comes into effect, the numbers will go below pre-Covid levels, marking the sharpest decline.

 

Numbers could fall to pre-Covid levels in Bihar

 

If SIR is implemented, the share of electors in the state’s total population would be just 55 per cent in 2025, pulling it back to the levels witnessed in 2011 and 2012. 

 

 

 

Inclusion surpassed exclusion most yrs in Bihar

 

In most years since 2011, the inclusion of electors has outpaced exclusions in Bihar. The major exception would be the 2025 SIR drive, due to which 6.5 million names have been placed on a proposed exclusion list. The other exception was the 2014 revision. 

 

 

 

Polling infra unable to keep pace with voter turnout

 

The number of electors per polling station in Bihar has fluctuated since 2010. The 2015 Assembly polls saw with 1,067 electors per polling station. One in 1,000 votes was rejected, at most, in the 6 elections held from 2010 to 2024. (both Assembly and Lok Sabha polls)

 

* Rejected voters are those whose votes have not been counted due to technical and other errors | Source: ECI, BS calculation