Bihar recorded higher turnout than US, UK, France in assembly polls after SIR: CEC

Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar disclosed on Sunday that the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls in Bihar last year played a crucial role in boosting voter turnout for the subsequent assembly elections. Speaking to reporters at Patna airport, Kumar, who is currently in Bihar for a two-day visit, stated that the voter turnout in the 2025 assembly elections surpassed that of countries such as the US, UK, and France.

Kumar emphasized that Bihar, known as the land of Vaishali, the cradle of democracy, prided itself on successfully completing the SIR for the first time. The CEC revealed that the three-month SIR exercise resulted in around 70 lakh names being removed from the electoral rolls. Kumar highlighted a significant surge in voter turnout in the assembly elections held shortly after the SIR exercise.

The Bihar assembly elections, held in November last year, witnessed an unprecedented voter turnout of 67.25%, marking the highest turnout recorded in the state since Independence. The elections delivered a substantial mandate to the BJP-JD(U)-led NDA alliance, rejecting any signs of anti-incumbency against the longstanding Nitish Kumar government. However, after the polls, Nitish Kumar resigned as chief minister, leading to Bihar's first BJP chief minister, Samrat Choudhary.