Bihar Sets Up 12,000+ New Polling Stations Ahead of Elections

Rapid Summary

• The Bihar government announced the creation of over 12,000 new polling stations as part of Special Intensive Revision (SIR) recommended by the Election Commission (EC).
• Total polling stations in the state have increased from 77,895 to 90,712 after establishing 12,817 new ones.
• Among these, 12,479 polling stations are located within existing buildings/premises, and others are nearby.
• A district-wise list of the newly formed polling stations has been shared with registered political parties.
• As per the June 25 notification by EC under SIR guidelines:

– New polling stations where needed to ensure no station serves more than 1,200 electors unless approved or else.
– SIR progress shows that “95.92%” of voters have already been covered ahead of a July 25 deadline.
– Of Bihar’s total voter base (7.9 crore), approximately 41.64 lakh entries represent voters not found at their recorded address or deceased.

Indian Opinion Analysis

The addition of over 12,000 polling stations in Bihar marks a important reform aimed at improving voter accessibility and compliance with prescribed limits on electorate size per station. With such measures likely enhancing convenience for constituencies with large populations or challenging geographies-this effort underscores an earnest attempt to refine India’s electoral infrastructure.

However, while nearly complete coverage under SIR demonstrates commendable efficiency ahead of deadlines set by EC directives-concerns about voter database discrepancies remain notable. The identification of over 41 lakh absent entries, including possibly deceased individuals or untraceable voters’ data implies an urgent need for deeper scrutiny and systemic updates to India’s electoral rolls.

These developments reflect growing importance placed on inclusive democracy but also call attention toward accuracy within its foundational systems. Stakeholders across governments and political parties must collectively manage this balancing act as it bears consistent implications for credible elections across regions like Bihar.

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