New Delhi: A fresh political storm has erupted over the 2025 Bihar Assembly elections following the release of a detailed audit report by Vote for Democracy, Maharashtra. The report has intensified Opposition claims of electoral manipulation and raised sharp questions over the role of the Election Commission of India during the polls.
The 27 page document, titled The Bihar Verdict 2025, relies entirely on official Election Commission data, constitutional provisions, statutory law, and recorded procedural gaps. Its authors argue the Bihar election reflected a coordinated subversion of the democratic process rather than routine administrative errors. The report was prepared under the guidance of former IAS officer and election reform advocate M G Devasahayam, along with academics and technical experts.
Central to the findings is the Election Commission’s decision to conduct a Special Intensive Revision of voter rolls on June 24, 2025, only months before the Assembly election. The report states the exercise lacked recorded reasons, public justification, or transparent methodology. Bihar already had continuous voter roll revisions since 2003 and a Special Summary Revision completed in January 2025.
According to the audit, the revision reversed the principle of voter inclusion and placed the burden on citizens to prove eligibility. The authors describe this as a citizenship style verification drive without legislative backing, violating electoral law and constitutional guarantees.
Official figures cited in the report show Bihar’s electorate shrinking from 7.89 crore voters in June to 7.24 crore by August, a deletion of nearly 66 lakh names within weeks. Only 3.66 lakh voters were later declared ineligible. In one striking phase, over 21 lakh names disappeared within three days, including sharp spikes in voters marked dead, permanently shifted, or untraceable.
The report also flags unexplained numerical inconsistencies between objections received and changes recorded. Even more troubling, voter additions allegedly continued after election notification. The electorate reportedly rose by over three lakh during the final days, including a sudden increase in youth voters.
Beyond voter rolls, the audit points to structural concerns such as sharp increases in polling booths without improved access in remote areas, lack of booth level monitoring by Opposition agents, and reduced transparency in turnout data disclosure. A uniform rise in turnout recorded late on polling night allegedly altered results in multiple constituencies, many decided by razor thin margins.
The authors conclude the Bihar election represents a crisis of electoral credibility. They warn the issue extends beyond one state and strikes at the foundation of universal adult franchise in India. With Parliament’s Budget Session approaching, the report has turned the Bihar verdict into a national flashpoint over democratic accountability.
