# SIR revision cuts voters in four states, Karnataka shows female majority 2026-08-22T21:46:26+00:00 | Governance | Indian Opinion Desk Corroboration: 2 independent outlets A special intensive revision (SIR) of electoral rolls ahead of assembly elections has caused a sharp decline in voter numbers in Kerala, Tamil Nadu and West Bengal, while Bihar's growth slowed, according to an analysis published by Telangana Today. Using Election Commission data, the analysis found that between 2021 and 2026, male electors in Kerala fell by 0.49% and female by 1.69%, Tamil Nadu saw a drop of 9.35% among men and 8.25% among women, and West Bengal recorded a 6.5% decline in male and 7.28% in female electors. In Bihar, male voters grew by 1.92% and female by 0.86%, down sharply from the previous period. Separately, the New Indian Express reported that Karnataka's draft SIR roll, released on 24 August 2026, shows 4,46,80,151 electors, with women outnumbering men: 2,24,75,553 females against 2,22,01,727 males. Over 1.07 crore citizens were removed under the Absent, Shifted, Dead, Duplicate and Others category. The claims and objections period runs from 24 August to 23 September 2026, with notices to 43.81 lakh electors flagged for anomalies. Citizens must physically appear before an Electoral Registration Officer for verification. ## Indian Opinion Analysis Telangana Today's analysis frames the SIR-driven drop in voter numbers in three states as a demographic shift worth scrutiny, highlighting a faster decline among women in Kerala and West Bengal. The New Indian Express reports Karnataka's SIR as a routine procedural update, emphasising women outnumbering men and the notice process without noting the massive 1.07-crore deletion. The balanced read: the SIR exercise is mechanically the same across states, but its impact on gender composition varies sharply, raising questions about data quality and access. The claims period closing on 23 September 2026 will test how many flagged voters successfully reclaim their place on the rolls. ## Coverage Coverage: 2 sources, 2 neutral - telanganatoday.com (neutral report) Data-driven analysis of voter trends without editorial judgement - newindianexpress.com (neutral report) Procedural report on draft roll release, no slant This story was synthesised by AI from the 2 sources linked above. Updated: this story now draws on 2 sources. Last updated 2026-08-24T18:36:15+00:00. Tags: Bihar, Election Commission of India, Kerala, Tamil Nadu, West Bengal Canonical: https://indianopinion.org/sir-slowed-voter-growth-in-bihar-cut-rolls-in-three-states/ License: Summary and commentary (c) Indian Opinion, reusable with attribution. Facts belong to the linked sources. Cite: https://indianopinion.org/sir-slowed-voter-growth-in-bihar-cut-rolls-in-three-states/#story-in-brief How this brief was made: an AI model read the reports linked above and wrote this summary and analysis, which were published automatically. Published briefs are sampled every hour by an automated quality check; the editor verifies its findings and approves corrections, and corrected briefs carry a dated correction line. Stance labels are editorial classifications of how each outlet framed this story, assigned by the same model, not ratings of the outlets. We do no original reporting. Methodology: https://indianopinion.org/ai-use-policy/