Will the Supreme Court Intervene in Bihar's Voter Exclusion?

New Delhi, July 29 (NationPress) The Supreme Court expressed its intention to “immediately intervene” should there be mass voter exclusion as a result of the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls in Bihar, which is preparing for elections.

This statement was made by a Bench comprising Justices Surya Kant and Joymalya Bagchi while addressing multiple petitions that argue the June 26 directive from the Election Commission of India (ECI) to implement SIR may lead to the arbitrary disenfranchisement of thousands of voters, thereby undermining the integrity of elections and democracy.

Advocate Prashant Bhushan referenced a statement from the ECI noting that 65 lakh individuals had not completed enumeration forms due to being deceased or having permanently relocated.

“We are present to listen to your concerns. We are approaching this matter with judicial oversight. If widespread exclusion occurs, we will act swiftly,” the Bench led by Justice Kant assured Bhushan, scheduling the hearing of the petitions against SIR for August 12 and 13.

The apex court reiterated that the ECI, as a constitutional body, is expected to conduct its operations in accordance with the law and the Constitution.

On the previous day, the Bench declined to impose a stay on the draft electoral rolls' publication but insisted that the ECI utilize Aadhaar and Electoral Photo Identity Cards (EPIC) for validating voters.

Senior advocate Rakesh Dwivedi, representing the ECI, raised concerns about the authenticity of certain documents, noting the prevalence of counterfeit ration cards. The court remarked that while ration cards can be easily forged, Aadhaar and voter cards maintain a degree of credibility. “Continue with these two documents (Aadhaar and EPIC). Any instances of forgery will be addressed on a case-by-case basis,” the court stated.

According to the SIR timeline published by the ECI, every elector who submitted an enumeration form, irrespective of additional documentation, will be included in the draft electoral roll, which is scheduled for release on August 1.

Those who failed to submit their forms will have the opportunity to request inclusion in the final roll by submitting a claim using the designated form along with the necessary declaration.

The ECI clarified that anyone excluded from the draft roll can still seek inclusion by submitting the required form and documentation, with a claims period open for 31 days post-publication of the draft roll, ending on September 1, 2025.

Once all procedures are finalized, the final roll will be published on September 30. Additionally, the ECI indicated that new voters can still be registered until the deadline for nomination submissions for the forthcoming Bihar Assembly elections.