PATNA/SAHEBGANJ/HAJIPUR: The first phase of the Bihar Assembly elections witnessed a high turnout of Muslim women voters, a trend that observers said underscored the impact of the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls.
Many women, especially from the Muslim community, returned to Bihar from other states where they live with their families to ensure their names remained valid on the electoral rolls and to cast their votes. Their concerns stemmed from the fear that prolonged absence from the state could lead to their names being deleted or duplicated elsewhere.
Several voters said they had either applied to transfer their names from rolls in other states or requested deletion there to remain registered in Bihar. Political analysts in Patna noted that the surge in turnout reflected growing voter awareness following the SIR exercise, which reportedly saw the deletion of thousands of names across communities.
Sabina Khatoon, 45, accompanied by her mother-in-law, Rubia, 57, and daughter Baby, 20, travelled from Nashik in Maharashtra to vote in Patna. “SIR made us realise the importance of ensuring our names remain valid. In our mohalla, Phulwarisharif, over two dozen Muslim women have returned from Gujarat, Kolkata and Mumbai just to vote,” she said, stressing that no Indian should miss the opportunity to participate in elections.
Muslim-majority areas recorded significantly higher female voter participation compared with the 2020 Assembly polls. According to social activist Md Naqib from Sahebganj in Muzaffarpur, the increase was even more visible in rural regions, where the SIR drive had encouraged women from minority and other communities to become more conscious not only about voting but also about obtaining essential documents like birth certificates for their children.
In Hajipur, officials estimated that the turnout of Muslim women rose by over 30% from the previous election. Sofia, a homemaker from Patna, said she spent Rs 10,000 travelling from Kolkata with her family to vote. The first phase thus saw a strong display of electoral awareness among women, particularly in districts affected by high male migration.