GG News Bureau
Patna, 1st Oct: The Election Commission has published the final voter list for Bihar, revealing sharp regional contrasts that have reignited political tensions ahead of the Assembly polls. The list records 7.42 crore eligible voters, an increase of 18 lakh over the draft list but 47 lakh fewer than the pre-revision count of 7.89 crore.
According to the data, Magadh region — including Patna — witnessed the highest voter additions, with an average rise of 2.6 per cent. Patna district topped the chart with a 3.4 per cent increase, translating to 1.6 lakh new voters. By contrast, the minority-dominated Seemanchal region registered the highest voter deletions at 7.7 per cent, well above Bihar’s average of 5.9 per cent. Seemanchal’s Kishanganj district saw the steepest cut at 9.69 per cent, followed by Purnea (8.41%), Katihar (7.12%), and Araria (5.6%).
Among districts, Gopalganj — RJD supremo Lalu Prasad Yadav’s home turf — recorded the state’s highest deletions at 12.13 per cent.
The revision exercise has triggered a fierce war of words. BJP IT Cell chief Amit Malviya accused Congress leader Rahul Gandhi of peddling a false “vote chori” narrative, alleging that his Voter Adhikar Yatra was an attempt to “shield illegal migrants” and “undermine democracy.” “This exposes Rahul Gandhi’s disingenuous politics. His Yatra wasn’t about democracy but about misleading people and endangering national security,” Malviya said.
Bihar Congress chief Rajesh Ram countered, calling the Special Intensive Revision “a deception from the outset.” He alleged the process lacked transparency and fairness, claiming it was “neither demanded by the public nor political parties.”
The voter list revision comes as political parties sharpen their focus on crucial regions. The BJP has set its sights on Magadh, where the Mahagathbandhan had dominated in 2020, winning 30 out of 47 seats. Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s recent ₹12,000 crore development push in Gaya underlined the NDA’s strategy to wrest back ground.
In Seemanchal, where voter deletions are highest, the electoral battle remains complex. In the last Assembly polls, the RJD-Congress combine won seven of the region’s 24 seats, the NDA bagged 12, and the AIMIM five — though four AIMIM MLAs later switched to RJD.
With the final voter list out, Bihar’s electoral contest is already showing signs of being a high-stakes, deeply polarised battle.
Comments are closed.