Court Questions Transparency in Special Intensive Revision
The Supreme Court has issued a strong directive to the Election Commission of India (ECI) over the exclusion of 65 lakh voters from Bihar’s electoral rolls during the Special Intensive Revision (SIR). In a hearing led by Justice Surya Kant and Justice Joymalya Bagchi, the court ordered the ECI to publish, within 48 hours, the names of all removed voters along with reasons for their removal on its official website.

Concern Over Wrongful Deletions
Justice Kant questioned why this information was not already public, stressing that citizens must know if their names were removed due to death or other reasons. The bench expressed alarm that living voters had been wrongly marked as deceased in draft rolls released in August. The court insisted the ECI clarify its verification procedures and ensure affected families are informed.

ECI Commits to Publishing Data
Representing the ECI, senior counsel Rakesh Dwivedi assured the court that the list would be uploaded constituency-wise on the ECI website and at district election offices. He emphasised that no voter could be removed without prior notice or an opportunity to respond, and that the process aimed to maintain accuracy and transparency. According to the ECI, out of 7.89 crore registered voters in Bihar, 7.24 crore had completed verification, with 22 lakh marked deceased and others removed due to duplication or migration.

Push for Online Access and Past Records
Justice Bagchi called for easy public access to the data, suggesting that voters should be able to verify their status online using EPIC numbers or Aadhaar, without depending solely on local officials. The bench also sought details on the documents used during the 2003 voter list revision and questioned why current procedures differed.

Debate Over Cutoff Dates and Scale of Removals
Petitioners’ counsel Nizam Pasha argued that using January 1, 2003, as a cutoff could unfairly exclude millions of voters. Justice Kant acknowledged the ECI’s authority under Article 324 and the Representation of the People Act, 1950, but expressed concern over the timing and scale of the deletions, calling 65 lakh removals “a massive number” given Bihar’s rural and poor demographics.

Political Reaction and Election Timeline
Opposition parties have accused the SIR of being a deliberate attempt to disenfranchise voters ahead of the Bihar Assembly elections, expected in October or November. The final voter list is scheduled for release on September 30. While the ECI maintains that the revision is a lawful effort to cleanse the rolls—citing urban migration, unreported deaths, and ineligible entries—the court’s order aims to ensure that no eligible voter is wrongly excluded before the polls.

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