Bihar Voter List Revision: The Supreme Court will on Monday hear a batch of petitions, including those filed by political parties, against the Election Commission’s June 24 decision to conduct a Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls in Bihar ahead of assembly elections.
A bench comprising Justices Surya Kant and Joymalya Bagchi will consider the replies of petitioners, including the Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD), AIMIM, NGOs, and activists, to the Election Commission’s note. The poll panel has asserted that 99.5% of the 7.24 crore electors in the draft roll submitted their eligibility documents during the SIR process.
The matter has been under the top court’s scrutiny since August 22, when it directed the Election Commission to allow excluded voters from the draft roll to file claims both online and offline.
Supreme Court Hearing on Bihar Voter List Revision
On September 1, while examining applications from political parties seeking deadline extensions, the Supreme Court was informed that although claims, corrections, and objections could still be filed after September 1, they would only be considered once the electoral roll is finalized. The poll panel clarified that objections can be filed until the last date for nomination in each assembly constituency.
The bench described the confusion surrounding the Bihar SIR as “largely a trust issue” and instructed the State Legal Services Authority to deploy paralegal volunteers to help voters and political parties in filing claims and objections. The draft roll had been published on August 1.
High Rate of Objections Raises Concerns
The Election Commission opposed extending the September 1 deadline but revealed that, between August 22 and August 30, over 22,700 claims for inclusion and 1.34 lakh objections for exclusion were submitted. The court expressed concern over the high number of objections for exclusion, directing political parties to step up their efforts in assisting voters.
As per the EC’s June 24 schedule, the final electoral roll for Bihar will be published on September 30.
RJD and AIMIM Seek Extension of Deadlines
The RJD, through advocate Fauzia Shakil, and AIMIM, through advocate Nizam Pasha, have urged the Supreme Court to extend the deadline for filing claims and objections. They argue that the current process risks disenfranchising legitimate voters.
Bihar Voter List Revision Sparks Political Controversy
The special intensive revision of the voter list in Bihar — the first since 2003 — has triggered a major political row. Opposition parties allege the exercise is aimed at depriving people of their right to vote. However, the Election Commission has defended the process, saying it is intended to clean up the voter list by removing names of deceased individuals, duplicate voter card holders, and illegal immigrants.
According to EC data, Bihar’s registered voters have decreased from 7.9 crore to 7.24 crore following the SIR exercise. The Supreme Court will review the responses from political parties and the confidential reports submitted by paralegal volunteers on September 8.
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