The 2025 Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of Bihar’s electoral rolls has resulted in the removal of nearly 3.5 million migrant voters, marked as “permanently migrated” due to their absence during verification. This move risks disenfranchising millions who are neither able to vote in their home constituencies nor in their workplaces.
Bihar’s economy is deeply reliant on migration, yet electoral processes continue to ignore this reality. Migrants often lack permanent housing documents in host states, while regional political resistance prevents their inclusion. As a result, they are excluded from both home and destination voter lists.
Studies show that high migration states like Bihar face lower voter turnout, and the latest deletions have widened this democratic gap. Seasonal migrants, especially the seven million who leave Bihar each year, now face greater challenges in participating in elections.
Experts argue for a portable voter ID system, cross-state verification, and migrant-friendly registration policies to protect their constitutional right. Without reforms, millions of Bihari migrants will remain politically invisible despite being vital to India’s economy.
