Over 7.24 crore voters submitted forms in Bihar SIR, reflecting 91.69% participation: EC

New Delhi [India], July 27 (ANI): The Election Commission of India (ECI) said on Sunday that out of 7.89 crore registered voters in Bihar, over 7.24 crore electors have submitted their enumeration forms under the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) held from June 24 to July 25, reflecting a 91.69 per cent participation rate.

The Commission described the SIR as a massive and successful citizen participation effort across the state, aimed at enhancing the accuracy of the electoral rolls ahead of upcoming assembly elections.

According to the official press note released by the ECI, the enumeration exercise was launched to verify and update voter records across all 38 districts of Bihar.

The ECI said, The first aim of SIR was participation of all electors and all political parties, adding that the role of Booth Level Officers (BLOs), Booth Level Agents (BLAs), volunteers, and political party workers contributed significantly to the process.

According to the ECI, the number of Booth Level Agents rose by over 16 per cent, with major increases seen in the CPI(M) (1083), Congress (105), and CPI(ML) (542). The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) saw a 3 per cent increase, while RJD and JD(U) reported modest increases in their BLA counts.

Booth Level Officers (BLOs) visited each registered elector residence, distributing and collecting forms in at least three rounds. Additional efforts targeted urban voters, young first-time voters, and temporary migrants from Bihar.

To reach migrants, a full-page Hindi advertisement was issued in 246 newspapers, and the CEO of Bihar wrote to all States and UTs, asking them to assist migrants from Bihar in completing their enumeration forms. The ECI revealed that nearly 29 lakh forms were filled online or downloaded, with over 16 lakh submissions made digitally.

The Commission stated that the Draft Electoral Roll will be published on August 1, and electors or political parties will have until September 1, 2025, to file claims and objections. EROs and AEROs have been deployed across Bihar to oversee the scrutiny process.

The ECI also clarified that names in the electoral rolls will not be deleted without a proper notice and written order by the Electoral Registration Officer (ERO), as per SIR guidelines.

Bihar Special Intensive Revision (SIR) exercise has also revealed that approximately 35 lakh electors are either untraced or have permanently migrated from their registered addresses. (ANI)

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