Petitioners argue that lakhs of voters may be unfairly dropped for not submitting forms during Bihar’s Special Intensive Revision (SIR).
BY PC Bureau
New Delhi, July 29 – Responding to concerns that 65 lakh voters could be excluded from Bihar’s draft electoral rolls under the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) process, the Supreme Court on Tuesday said it will intervene if there is any “mass exclusion”.
A bench of Justices Surya Kant and Joymalya Bagchi listed the matter for hearing on August 12 and 13. Advocate Prashant Bhushan, representing the Association for Democratic Reforms, flagged the Election Commission’s claim that those 65 lakh people—allegedly dead or permanently relocated—had not submitted the required forms and would now have to reapply for inclusion.
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Justice Surya Kant assured, “We are here. We will hear you,” adding that the EC, as a constitutional authority, is expected to act lawfully. Justice Bagchi pointed out that the January 2025 voter list would have remained the base if the SIR hadn’t been initiated, and emphasized that if large-scale exclusion occurs, the Court would “immediately step in.”
Senior Advocate Kapil Sibal, representing RJD MP Manoj Jha, said the Election Commission is aware of the identities of the 65 lakh individuals and should mention them in the draft list. Justice Kant directed that any conspicuous omissions be brought to the Court’s attention.
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ECI counsel Rakesh Dwivedi noted that the draft list allows for objections and corrections. The Commission is scheduled to publish the draft rolls on August 1, following its June 24 order under Section 21(3) of the Representation of the People Act, 1950.
While the Court refused to stay the publication of the draft list, it emphasized that any illegalities found later could lead to the entire process being quashed. The Court also advised the poll body to consider Aadhaar and EPIC cards as valid proof of identity, given their presumed authenticity.
