Voting Begins in Bihar After Removal of Over 6.8 Million Names: Eyes on Patna and Migrant-Dominated Districts – Will Turnout Cross 60%

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Voting for the first phase of the Bihar Assembly Election 2025 commenced on Thursday at 7 AM, with visible enthusiasm at polling stations across the state. Conducted in two phases on 6th and 11th November, these elections serve as a crucial test of how the Election Commission’s Special Intensive Revision (SIR) drive has improved the accuracy of voter lists.

Patna Shows Excitement Ahead of Polling
In Patna, polling began with notable energy, as voters turned out to cast their ballots. The two-phase elections will also indicate the impact of the SIR campaign on voter confidence and participation. Bihar’s voter turnout has historically hovered around 57%, and all eyes are now on whether this figure will rise this time.

Past Turnout and the Impact of SIR
During the 2024 Lok Sabha elections, Bihar recorded the lowest turnout in the country at 56.4%, approximately 10 percentage points below the national average. The last peak in voter participation was in 2000, reaching 62.5%.

According to an official associated with the SIR campaign, duplicate entries in voter lists were a major reason for low turnout in previous elections. With a cleaner, more reliable voter list this year, Bihar may witness a notable increase in participation. The last significant rise in turnout was during the 2015 Assembly elections, where participation jumped from 52.6% in 2010 to 56.8%.

Over 6.8 Million Names Removed, 2.1 Million Added
Following the SIR campaign, Bihar’s final electoral roll now includes approximately 74.2 million voters, down from 78 million at the start of 2025. A total of 68.66 lakh names were removed from the previous list. This includes 65 lakh names removed in the draft roll published on 1st August (including 22 lakh deceased voters), and an additional 3.66 lakh names removed before the final publication. During this process, 21 lakh new voters were added to the list.

Focus on Patna and Migrant-Dominated Districts
Patna, which has historically seen low voter turnout, had approximately 3.95 lakh voters removed from its rolls. How the capital votes this time will be closely watched. Other districts with high migrant populations, such as Madhubani (3.5 lakh names removed), East Champaran (3.1 lakh), West Champaran (1.91 lakh), Sitamarhi (2.4 lakh), Supaul (1.2 lakh), Araria (1.5 lakh), and Purnia (2.7 lakh), also saw significant deletions, which could influence overall turnout.

As Bihar heads to the polls, analysts and political observers will be keenly watching whether the voter enthusiasm and cleaner electoral rolls can push turnout beyond the 60% mark.