Bihar recorded higher turnout than US, UK, France in assembly polls after SIR: CEC
Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar stated that Bihar's recent electoral roll revision led to record-breaking voter turnout in the 2025 assembly polls. He noted that the turnout exceeded that of several major Western democracies.
Why it matters
The report emphasizes the success of administrative electoral reforms in increasing democratic participation in India.
NEW DELHI: Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) Gyanesh Kumar on Sunday said the “successful” Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls in Bihar last year helped increase voter turnout in the assembly elections that followed.Speaking to reporters at Patna airport, Kumar, who is on a two-day visit to Bihar, said the voter turnout in the 2025 assembly polls was higher than that in countries such as the US, UK and France.“Bihar is the land where Vaishali, the cradle of democracy, is situated. We take pride in the fact that the SIR was conducted here successfully for the first time,” Kumar said.The CEC said the three-month SIR exercise led to around 70 lakh names being removed from the electoral rolls.
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