New Delhi, July 18 (IANS) The Election Commission of India (ECI) said on Friday that 94.68 per cent of voters in Bihar have been successfully covered in the ongoing Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of the electoral rolls, with seven days remaining for the completion of the enumeration phase.

The draft electoral roll will be published on August 1, and political parties and citizens will have a full month to suggest corrections or additions, a press statement issued here said.

Of the total 7.89 crore voters in Bihar, more than 7.11 crore enumeration forms have been received, and 6.85 crore have already been digitised.

However, nearly 41 lakh forms are still pending, and around 36.8 lakh voters were not found at their registered addresses.

These include more than 12.7 lakh individuals believed to be deceased, 18.1 lakh who may have permanently shifted, and 5.9 lakh identified as enrolled in multiple locations.

In a bid to ensure transparency and accuracy, the ECI has shared lists of such voters with district presidents of political parties and more than 1.5 lakh booth level agents (BLAs) appointed by them.

Each BLA is permitted to submit up to 50 certified forms per day until July 25.

This collaborative verification effort is aimed at preventing the exclusion of any eligible voter.

The final electoral roll will be published on September 30, following the disposal of claims and objections by September 25.

Both printed and digital versions will be provided to recognised political parties and made available on the ECI website.

Any aggrieved voter may appeal to the District Magistrate or the Chief Electoral Officer under Section 24 of the Representation of the People Act, 1950.

This revision exercise comes ahead of the upcoming Bihar Assembly elections, likely to take place later this year.

The ECI’s proactive measures reflect its commitment to maintaining the integrity of the electoral process, especially in a politically sensitive state like Bihar, where voter rolls have historically been a point of contention.

Political observers note that the involvement of party-appointed BLAs in the verification process could reduce allegations of bias and improve public trust.

With the final roll set to be published in September, the groundwork for a high-stakes electoral contest is steadily taking shape.

–IANS

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