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CEC Gyanesh Kumar Credits Roll Revision for Record Voter Turnout in Bihar Assembly Polls

Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) Gyanesh Kumar announced that the successful conduct of the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls in Bihar directly contributed to a historic rise in voter turnout during the subsequent State Assembly election.

What Happened

Arriving in Patna on Sunday, August 16, 2026, for a two-day official tour, CEC Gyanesh Kumar addressed media personnel at the airport. He credited the Special Intensive Revision initiative—first launched in Bihar before expanding nationwide—with purifying voter rolls and laying the groundwork for unprecedented electoral participation. According to the CEC, the revision led to the deletion of roughly 70 lakh names from the voter lists. Following this exercise, voter participation in the last Bihar Assembly election reached its highest point since Independence, exceeding turnout figures recorded in several developed nations, including France, Japan, and Spain.

Key Highlights

  • Electoral Roll Purification: Around 70 lakh ineligible or duplicate entries were deleted under the SIR initiative.
  • Historic Participation: The subsequent Bihar Assembly election logged its highest turnout since Independence, surpassing turnout percentages in Spain, Japan, and France.
  • High-Level EC Delegation: Mr. Kumar was accompanied by Senior Deputy Election Commissioner Manish Garg, Director General (Media) Ashish Goyal, Director General (IT) Seema Khanna, and other senior Commission officials.
  • Welcome Delegation: The CEC was received at Patna airport by Bihar Chief Electoral Officer Vinod Singh Gunjiyal, Patna District Magistrate Kundan Kumar, and Senior Superintendent of Police Kartikey Kumar Sharma.
  • Tribute to Vaishali: The CEC praised Vaishali as the birthplace and mother of democracy, recalling the ancient Lichhavi Clan republic from the 6th to 4th century BCE.

Why This Matters

The Special Intensive Revision served as a nationwide initiative aimed at eliminating inaccuracies and duplicate entries from voting registries. As explained by the CEC, carrying out this purification process in Bihar ensured cleaner voter registers, which correlated with higher official turnout rates during the Assembly election.

What to Watch Next

During his two-day visit, Mr. Kumar is scheduled to travel to Vaishali, Madhubani, and Sitamarhi. On Monday, August 17, the Chief Election Commissioner will participate in an interactive session with approximately 500 Booth Level Officers (BLOs) at Nalanda University in Rajgir.

Frequently Asked Questions

What was the impact of the Special Intensive Revision in Bihar?

According to the CEC, the exercise purified the electoral list by removing approximately 70 lakh names, which subsequently helped the state record its highest voter turnout since Independence.

Which locations are included in the CEC’s Bihar visit?

The itinerary includes visits to Vaishali, Madhubani, and Sitamarhi, along with an engagement with Booth Level Officers at Nalanda University in Rajgir.

Source: The Hindu