Supreme Court to hear challenges to Bihar voter list revision on Aug 12–13
New Delhi, Jul 29: The Supreme Court has scheduled hearings on August 12 and 13 to examine a series of petitions challenging the Election Commission of India’s (ECI) directive for a Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls in Bihar, where Assembly elections are due later this year, reports Bar & Bench. The Bench, comprising Justices Surya Kant and Joymalya Bagchi, also warned that the Court would intervene if the Commission strays from the procedures laid out in its own notification. As reported by Bar & Bench, the petitions allege that the SIR process violates several constitutional rights under Articles 14, 19, 21, 325, and 326, and does not adhere to the framework established under the Representation of the People Act, 1950, and the Registration of Electors Rules, 1960.
The ECI has defended its move, stating that the revision is necessary to address long-standing inaccuracies in the voter rolls due to demographic shifts and urban migration.
It invoked its constitutional powers under Article 324 and statutory authority under Section 21(3) of the Representation of the People Act to justify the directive. The Commission also flagged concerns about the reliability of documents like Aadhaar and ration cards, citing the potential for forgery. Earlier this week, the Court had suggested Aadhaar be included in the list of acceptable documents for verification. The matter of possible voter exclusion was raised by petitioners, who claimed that around 65 lakh names could be removed during the revision process. The ECI responded that the final figures would be clear only after objections are considered, with the final list expected by September 15. The Court decided to break the hearing into phases, beginning with an initial review in August to assess concerns about the draft list and following up in September, if needed. Advocate Neha Rathi was appointed as nodal counsel for the petitioners, and the Court directed that a compiled list of pleadings be submitted by August 8.
