New Delhi, July 4: A special electoral roll revision exercise underway in Bihar has sparked concern among political parties and rights groups, who warn that the process could disenfranchise lakhs of short-term migrant voters due to stringent verification rules and a compressed timeline.
The Special Intensive Revision (SIR), launched by the Election Commission of India (ECI), aims to update the state’s voter rolls ahead of upcoming elections. But critics say the July 31 deadline and the Commission’s criteria—requiring only “ordinary residents” to be included—could result in wrongful deletions, particularly in a state where migrant voters make up nearly 20% of the electorate.
Opposition parties have questioned how temporary migrants, who are away from their home constituencies for work, can be present in person for verification during such a short window.
India’s Representation of the People Act, 1950, however, provides legal backing to retain such names, stating that temporary absence does not affect a person’s status as an ordinary resident. Election roll manuals further clarify that such individuals should remain on the rolls if they possess the intention and ability to return.
The issue takes on additional complexity in Bihar, where long-term male migration skews voter turnout data. In the 2024 general elections, more women voted than men in the state, even though men made up a larger portion of registered voters. For every 1,000 male voters, 1,017.5 women cast their votes, despite only 917.5 women being registered for every 1,000 men—suggesting a large number of men were absent on polling day.
“This indicates that many men, though registered, could not return from their workplaces outside Bihar to vote,” an electoral analyst said, pointing to a possible disenfranchisement of long-distance migrant workers.
Experts argue that the ECI must clearly differentiate between short-term and long-term migrants. While the former should be retained on home rolls, the latter should be encouraged to register in their place of work to enable meaningful political participation.
“Migrant workers are vital to the economies of several states. Their political voice must reflect where they live and work—not just where they come from,” the analyst added. Critics have also flagged the one-month timeline as inadequate for such a complex and sensitive process, urging the Commission to extend the deadline and ensure no eligible voter is excluded without due process.
