Over half of voters missing from Bihar’s draft electoral roll are women, data reveals
More than half of the voters excluded from Bihar’s draft electoral roll following the Special Intensive Revision are women, according to an analysis of Election Commission of India data published on August 1. The figures show that 55% of those left out are women, with the highest exclusion rates seen in several districts that also have a significant Muslim population.
The draft list was compiled from enumeration forms submitted between June 24 and July 26. Individuals whose names do not appear will now be required to present proof of citizenship to be reinstated in the final list, scheduled for release on September 30. The Election Commission has said that nearly 65.6 lakh names were removed, citing reasons that include death (22.3 lakh), permanent relocation or prolonged absence (36.3 lakh), and duplication across multiple rolls (7 lakh) according to a data analysis report by The Hindu and Scroll.
Gopalganj district in western Bihar recorded the highest overall exclusion rate at 15.1%, with the Gopalganj assembly constituency alone registering an 18.25% reduction in its electoral roll, the steepest in the state. Across 43 of Bihar’s 243 assembly constituencies, women account for 60% or more of those removed. In January 2025, women made up 47.7% of the state’s electorate; in the draft roll following the revision, this proportion has dropped to 47.2%.
Kaimur district recorded the largest percentage of women excluded from the draft roll at 64%, followed by Buxar at 63%. In Rajpur, a Scheduled Caste-reserved constituency in Kaimur, women represent 69% of those removed, while in Brahampur the figure stands at 63%. By contrast, in Barhara constituency in Bhojpur district, nearly three-quarters of those excluded are men.
Five of the ten districts with the highest percentage of excluded voters , Purnia, Kishanganj, Madhubani, Bhagalpur, and Sitamarhi, also have the largest share of Muslim residents in the state. Election Commission data indicates a correlation: the greater the Muslim population in a district, the higher the exclusion rate, whereas districts with larger Scheduled Caste populations tend to see lower exclusion rates.
Six constituencies in Gopalganj, Gopalganj, Kuchaikote, Barauli, Hathua, Baikunthpur and Bhorey , rank among the top 20 in the state for voter exclusions. Purnia district’s Purnia, Amour and Dhamdaha constituencies also feature prominently in the list of areas most affected.
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Man arrested for for raping mute woman in Jamshedpur
Jamshedpur (PTI): One person was arrested on the charge of raping a 30-year-old woman with speech impairment in Jamshedpur, a police officer said on Tuesday.
The incident occurred in the Azadnagar police station area of the city, and a case in this regard was registered based on the statement of the victim's brother on Monday.
The victim had gone to fetch water from the premises of a company on Monday evening. When she did not return even after a considerable time, family members went out in search of her and caught the accused red-handed, police said.
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The accused was a caretaker of the company.
Deputy Superintendent of Police (Patamda) Bachandeo Kujjur said due to scarcity of water in the area, the victim used to fetch water from the premises of the company.
