New Delhi, Oct 7 (NationPress) The Supreme Court of India is set to hear final arguments today regarding a series of petitions that challenge the legitimacy of the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of Bihar's electoral rolls, initiated in preparation for the pivotal 2025 Assembly elections.

A bench consisting of Justices Surya Kant and Joymalya Bagchi had previously postponed the hearing at the behest of the Election Commission of India (ECI), which contended that discussions should commence only after the revised voter list was finalized on October 1.

The ECI has now concluded the SIR process, resulting in a final electoral roll that includes 7.43 crore electors, among whom are 14 lakh first-time voters.

The petitions, lodged by the NGO Association for Democratic Reforms (ADR) and others, question the legality and transparency of the SIR process. Senior advocate Prashant Bhushan, representing ADR, urged the court for an expedited hearing prior to the publication of the final roll, highlighting potential infringements on voter rights and procedural irregularities. Nonetheless, the bench clarified that the release of the final list would not hinder judicial scrutiny and indicated that it would take action if any irregularities were uncovered, even after publication.

The court had earlier mandated the ECI to consider Aadhaar as a valid document for verification during the SIR. However, the bench stressed that Aadhaar should not be regarded as evidence of citizenship, emphasizing that the ECI is responsible for ensuring the authenticity and thorough vetting of all submitted documents.

Declining to issue any interim or piecemeal orders, the bench reserved a conclusive judgment until the final hearing. 'We will analyze the entire exercise comprehensively,' remarked Justice Kant during the last session.

In the meantime, the ECI has announced that the Bihar Assembly elections will take place in two phases, on November 6 and 11, with vote counting scheduled for November 14. In a press conference, Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar referred to the upcoming Bihar polls as the 'mother of all elections', underscoring extensive preparations aimed at ensuring a peaceful and transparent voting process.

'We want to reassure Bihar's voters that the elections will be not only smooth and fair but also the most peaceful ever, with a particular emphasis on law and order,' Kumar stated, alongside fellow Election Commissioners Sukhbir Singh Sandhu and Vivek Joshi.

This year's elections represent the first significant electoral event in Bihar following the SIR-driven refinement of the state's voter list.