CEC Gyanesh Kumar credits SIR for record Bihar poll turnout

Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar has said the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls in Bihar contributed to a record voter turnout in the 2025 Assembly elections. The CEC said on Sunday that around 70 lakh names were removed from the rolls. The polls recorded a turnout of 67.25 per cent, the highest in the state since Independence, and higher than recent turnout in the US, UK and France, he said.

Kumar was speaking in Patna on a two-day visit. He launched the revamped Electoral Literacy Club 2.0 (ELC 2.0), aimed at turning school and college clubs into year-round digital platforms for young voters. He also announced a 'Gen Z' voter awareness campaign starting from Bihar.

Separately, the CEC reviewed SIR preparations in Uttarakhand on Sunday. He said the revision aims to identify absent, shifted, deceased, duplicate and foreign voters. He urged voters to cooperate with Booth Level Officers and submit latest passport-size photographs.