New Delhi, July 28 -- The Election Commission of India on Sunday said that 72.4 million enumeration forms were collected during the enumeration phase of the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of the electoral roll in Bihar. This number is 6.5 million (8%) short of the number of registered electors in the state on June 24, the day before the SIR exercise began in the state; 4.8 million (6.2%) short of the number during the 2024 Lok Sabha elections; and 1.2 million (1.6%) short of the number during the 2020 state assembly election. The apparent decline in the number of electors in Bihar - the final electoral roll is scheduled to be published only on September 30 - is the first between two consecutive elections in the state since the two assembly elections held in 2005. This trend holds true whether one is looking at two consecutive assembly elections or assembly elections and Lok Sabha elections taken together. The trend in 2005 shows that it is not impossible for registered electors to decline in Bihar. However, it would still be a rare occurrence in the state if the final electoral roll shows the number of registered electors lower than in the 2020 assembly election (73.6 million) or the 2024 Lok Sabha election (77.3 million). P9...