Voter List Revision 2025 – Bihar Election
The well-debated Voter List Revision 2025 has been completed in Bihar, leaving the poll analysts at larch. The exclusions and inclusions had created such a turmoil situation, which has sufficient enough to deceive the veteran political strategists. The quite complicated Bihar’s politics bewilder the Pollsters, by default. It is an equation of caste and creed, further intertwined with religion and various communities. Now, the SIR has fueled further complexities into it.
Lets try to delve into the results of the last assembly polls in Bihar, which took places in 2020. We can notice that there are around 20/25 seats, where a margin of even less than 1000 votes has become the deciding factor for the win or loss. The margin had come down to a mere 12 votes in one constituency. The exclusion or inclusion of lakhs of voters may easily swing the vote outcome of such a minuscule margin.
Exclusion in Voter List Revision 2025 of Bihar
Lets look into the exclusion pattern as a result of Special Intensive Review in Bihar. The border districts of Purnia, Kishanganj, and Champaran have faced major exclusions. These districts have got a high concentration of Muslim population. The exclusion does not necessarily mean that the demography has changed in these districts. Moreover, nobody knows, whether the axe of exclusion has fallen only on Muslim community, or it has affected even the Hindu community too. The reports reveal that the poorest districts namely, Purnia, Kishanganj, Sitamarhi, and Saharsa have faced major exclusions due to the SIR in Bihar. The intersectional backwardness has played a pivotal role.
Notably, none has complained to face the exclusion because of lack of documentation. The out-migration has played the pivotal role for the exclusion of a large section. It’s also natural that the people will be migrated out from the districts, where the poverty prevails at its hilt. We Can find the reminiscent in West Bengal also. People from Malda, Murshidabad, Nadia, Dinajpur, 24 Parganas, Midnapore migrated out in large numbers. The Election Commission has arranged online facilities for inclusion, but usage of such facilities may be seemingly difficult for the backward people.
Complexities in Bihar elections
Bihar is a state, where the sub-castes play a pivotal role. It’s also true that one group of one caste, sub-caste may vote for one party in one region whereas the same caste may decide to vote for the opponents in the other regions. It’s unlike West Bengal, where the Muslim communities across the state discard the BJP, almost unanimously. That’s why political parties are so much interested regarding Special Intensive Revision in West Bengal. The presence of Prashant Kishore, the reckoned X-factor, may also twist all speculations.
This Voter List Revision 2025 has put wrinkles of worry on the faces of all politicians, and what’s more, it has completely confused them. No calculations are working out. In fact, they have become clueless about how to tally the complex vote arithmetic.
Though Opinion polls have started taking places, it hardly reflects the actual result. These opinion polls have failed miserably in the past with a glairing example of 2024 general election.
Nitish Kumar and Women Voters
Indeed, Nitish Kumar, the incumbent Chief Minister has earned immense popularity among the women voters. Ironically, the Women Voters have faced the wrath of exclusion in large numbers. One vital statistics is the exclusion of around 23 lakhs of women voters, as per claims of Congress. The Election Commission justified that the wrath of exclusion of women is primarily because of marriage or permanent migration. A section got married or migrated to the adjourning states like Jharkhand, West Bengal. We have to wait and watch for the SIR in West Bengal to understand the effect of migration from Bihar.
A sizeable amount has been shifted to Nepal also. We should take a note that West Champaran, East Champaran, Sitamarhi, Madhubani, Supaul, Araria, and Kishanganj share border with Nepal. Crossing between Bihar and Nepal used to be a blur, but suddenly the EC have excluded their names as per strict foreigner’s policy acts.
Election Campaigns after Voter List Revision 2025
The political leaders have started strengthening their campaigns. Congress high command has decided to send their top-notch leaders including Priyanka Gandhi and Mallikarjun Kharge to share the campaign with RJD or other allies of mahagathbandhan. Adhir Choudhury, the political icon of West Bengal Congress has also joined the fray. Tejaswi Yadav has been working very hard. Rahul has his feet firmly planted in Bihar for long. On the other hand, the NDA alliance has also intensified their campaign. Its not only Nitish Kumar, but all BJP leaders are flying to and from between Delhi and Patna to hit the ground running to heat up the election campaign. The list included the stars like Narendra Modi and Amit Shah also.
The climax is that the start campaigners from both the ends have stepped into the fray to energize the election race, but with an utter state of confusion. The Voter List Revision 2025 in Bihar has created so much uncertainty that everyone is in a dilemma. It is really hard to say yet who will be the biggest loser in this SIR. Everybody is trading in unknown sojourn.
