Revamping Electoral Rolls: Unearthing Bihar’s Oversized Deceased Voter List

Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar clarified that nearly 22 lakh deceased voters in Bihar were due to historical oversights, not recent deaths. Lack of proper enumeration contributed to this issue, and political party agents can help ensure accuracy. The problem arises from decades-old unrecorded deaths now unearthed in revised rolls.

Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar disclosed that approximately 22 lakh electors, identified as deceased in Bihar, have been overlooked in voter records for decades, not having died recently as may have been assumed.

At a recent press conference, Kumar explained that previous revisions of electoral rolls failed to distribute necessary enumeration forms to every household, leading to inaccuracies.

Until families report deaths, booth-level officers remain unaware, causing gaps in the system. Kumar noted that political parties' booth-level agents play a crucial role in correcting these discrepancies and purifying the electoral rolls.

(With inputs from agencies.)