Controversy Erupts Over Bihar's Mismanaged Voter Roll Revision**

The Bihar Election Commission's recent voter roll revision has seen significant backlash due to the presence of erroneous information and claims of disenfranchisement, raising concerns about the integrity of the electoral process.**

Recently, the Bihar Election Commission unveiled a reworked draft of electoral rolls that has generated significant controversy due to accusations of containing incorrect photographs, alongside listings of deceased individuals. This revised list, preparing voters for the upcoming elections slated for November, boasts a total of 72.4 million names, yet reportedly omits approximately 6.5 million voters compared to the previous count.

The revision process, which took place from 25 June to 26 July, was officially dubbed the Special Intensive Revision (SIR). Following its completion, the Election Commission stated that over 78 million voters were contacted to verify their information, deeming the last revision back in 2003 as a prompt for this update. The declining number of listed voters purportedly reflects removals of 2.2 million deceased individuals, 700,000 multiple enrollments, and nearly 3.6 million who have relocated outside the state.

Corrections to the draft rolls remain permissible until 1 September, with over 165,000 petitions already submitted for revisions. A countrywide review will also take place to assess nearly a billion voters. However, many voters in Bihar, echoing sentiments from opposition parties and election watchdogs, have reported severe inconsistencies in the list.

Critics argue that the process of removing voters disproportionately affects Muslim communities, especially in four border districts, raising alarms that this could be a tactic to benefit Prime Minister Narendra Modi's Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) ahead of upcoming state elections. Both the poll body and BJP officials refute these claims, insisting on the authenticity of their methods and discrediting allegations of bias.

Despite these assertions, significant questions hang over the SIR process, with opposition leaders denouncing it as inappropriate and rushed, demanding urgent parliamentary discussions on this perceived compromise to democratic integrity. Jagdeep Chhokar of the Association for Democratic Reforms (ADR) expressed that the timing was alarming, with insufficient time allotted for the essential verification process, which would likely disenfranchise countless eligible voters.

Hindustan Times reports unprecedented voter removal rates, specifically in districts with larger Muslim populations, further fueling distrust. Meanwhile, the population remains largely uninformed about the implications of SIR and the verification of individual voter status, as highlighted during community visits in villages such as Danara and Kharika.

In these areas, citizens openly share grievances about the inaccuracies plaguing the draft list, including imagery errors and the continued appearance of deceased relatives on voter registries. Chhokar has vowed to voice these deficiencies in court, emphasizing the urgency of restoring faith in the voting process if genuine voters are to maintain their rights.

The political landscape in Bihar is increasingly polarized, with contrasting views presented by the ruling Janata Dal (United) party and opposition factions. While the incumbents defend the actions of the Election Commission and focus on correcting duplicate listings, critics allege election manipulation fueled by biased motives.

As the debate continues to unfold, it remains apparent that the integrity of Bihar's voter rolls, amidst allegations of rushed execution and administrative faults, is drawing vital attention from both the public and judiciary as critical elections loom ahead.