New Delhi: A close analysis of the 2025 Bihar assembly election reveals a critical detail: in 11 seats, the number of voters removed from the rolls during the pre-election special intensive revision (SIR) was greater than the winner's margin of victory.

This finding highlights the pre-election debate over the SIR process. The political opposition had warned that the deletions could disproportionately affect the results in tight contests. The final results now allow that claim to be tested with data, identifying the specific battlegrounds where the number of removed voters is higher than the margin separating the winner and the runner-up.

The 11 constituencies where SIR deletions exceeded the vote margin are detailed below:

Understanding the figures

To understand the procedural issues, it is crucial to distinguish between two key figures in the SIR debate.

The 47 lakh figure represents the total scale of the cleanup. This number is the net reduction of the electoral roll over the entire revision period and includes routine removals of deceased, duplicate or permanently shifted voters. It is the metric for the overall shrinkage of the electorate.

The 3.66 lakh figure, in contrast, relates directly to the integrity of the process. This number isolates the deletions made in the final, critical phase – between the publication of the draft roll and the final roll. These are the names removed after the public had a chance to review the list, making them the focus of allegations of targeted, last-minute removals.

This distinction is why the Supreme Court specifically sought details on the 3.66 lakh deletions, identifying them as most relevant to claims of procedural malpractice.

While the 2025 election’s landslide result rendered these numbers electorally moot statewide, their impact on these 11 specific constituencies remains a matter of statistical record.

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