The Election Commission of India (EC) on Tuesday published the final voter rolls for Bihar ahead of the assembly elections due later this year, excluding nearly 48 lakh names.
“In light of the Special Intensive Revision, the final electoral roll dated 30 September 2025 has been published. Any voter can check the details of their name in the voter list through the link voters.eci.gov.in,” an EC official said. The website provides two options, one to search for a voter’s name in the rolls and the other to download assembly segment-wise rolls.
The revision, conducted after a gap of 22 years in the state, began on 24 June when the rolls showed 7.89 crore names. During the process, 65 lakh entries were deleted for reasons such as death, migration, or duplication. The draft rolls published on 1 August brought the number down to 7.24 crore.
Further scrutiny resulted in the removal of another 3.66 lakh names, while 21.53 lakh were added or reinstated during the claims and objections stage. After these adjustments, the final count as of 30 September stands at 7.42 crore electors.
The Commission has clarified that those who remain eligible may still apply for inclusion in the rolls up to ten days before the deadline for filing nominations. For anyone dissatisfied with the outcome, Section 24 of the Representation of the People Act, 1950, provides the option of filing a first appeal before the district magistrate and a second before the state’s chief electoral officer.
The finalisation of the list comes amid ongoing controversy and legal scrutiny. Opposition parties had accused the EC of acting in favour of the ruling coalition by launching the revision so close to the polls. Congress leader Rahul Gandhi and RJD’s Tejashwi Yadav even held a ‘Voter Adhikar Yatra’ in Bihar, charging the Commission with disenfranchising citizens.
The matter is also before the Supreme Court, which had earlier directed the Commission to accept Aadhaar as proof of identity for enrolment, while making it clear that the document could not be treated as proof of citizenship. During a hearing on 15 September, Justice Surya Kant observed, “What difference will the final publication of the list make to us if we are satisfied there is some illegality?”
The EC has said it will visit Bihar on 4 and 5 October to assess poll preparedness. The Supreme Court, meanwhile, is set to hear the petitions challenging the exercise on 7 October. The formal announcement of election dates is expected soon afterwards, with the first phase of polling likely to take place after the Chhath festival, which falls between 25 and 28 October.
In the updated rolls, several districts have seen increases. Muzaffarpur’s electorate rose by more than 88,000, while Patna added over 1.63 lakh and Nawada more than 30,000. Statewide, however, the revision has led to a net reduction of 48 lakh voters.
