SC Agress To Hear Petitions Against Bihar Voter List Revision Amid Political Storm

Supreme Court to hear challenge against EC's Bihar voter list revision ahead of polls; petitioners warn of mass voter exclusion, sparking a major political row.

Supreme Court to Hear Challenge Against Bihar Voter List Revision Amid Political Storm

Source : PTI

The Supreme Court is set to hear a high-stakes challenge on Thursday against the Election Commission’s ongoing Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of Bihar’s voter list, a move that has triggered a political firestorm just months ahead of the state Assembly elections.

While the apex court agreed to fast-track the hearing, it declined to halt the voter list revision process for now.

The petition—brought forward by a diverse group including Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) MP Manoj Jha, the Association for Democratic Reforms (ADR), People's Union for Civil Liberties, activist Yogendra Yadav, Trinamool Congress MP Mahua Moitra, and former MLA Mujahid Alam—raises serious concerns about the timing and impact of the revision drive.

Urgent Concerns Over Voter Disenfranchisement

During Monday’s hearing, Senior Advocates Kapil Sibal, Abhishek Manu Singhvi, Shadan Farasat, and Gopal Sankaranarayanan pressed the court for an expedited review. They argued that the ongoing revision could result in the mass deletion of voters from the rolls, disproportionately affecting women and marginalized communities.

“This isn’t just a bureaucratic exercise—it impacts the democratic rights of lakhs of citizens,” said Sibal.

What Is the Special Intensive Revision?

Launched on June 24, the SIR is a sweeping effort by the Election Commission to clean up and update Bihar’s voter rolls. The last such revision was undertaken in 2003.

According to the Commission, the revision is crucial due to factors such as rapid urban growth, widespread migration, a surge in first-time voters, unreported deaths, and even the alleged inclusion of illegal foreign nationals.

How Will It Be Carried Out?

Booth Level Officers (BLOs) have been tasked with going door-to-door, verifying voter details through document checks. The Commission has stated that it will strictly adhere to legal provisions on voter eligibility and disqualification, assuring that vulnerable groups—such as the elderly, persons with disabilities (PwDs), and the economically disadvantaged—will not be excluded unfairly.

Officials have also urged political parties to cooperate and help resolve discrepancies early in the process, before the final voter roll is prepared.

Political Divide Widens

The voter list overhaul has sharply divided Bihar’s political landscape.

The Congress has issued a stark warning, calling the revision an attempt at "willful exclusion" through state machinery. "With lakhs of central and state officials now overseeing who has valid documents, there's a serious risk of manipulating voter eligibility," the party said in a statement.

Echoing these concerns, Tejashwi Yadav, Leader of the Opposition in the Bihar Assembly, alleged a deeper plot behind the sudden revision.

“This hasn’t been done since 2003—and back then, it took two years,” Yadav said. “Now the EC wants to prepare a fresh list of 8 crore voters in just 25 days? During a time when 73% of the state is under water due to floods? This looks like a conspiracy.”

Yadav questioned the feasibility of conducting such an exercise with elections fast approaching. The poll notification is expected within weeks, leaving little room for error—or oversight.

BJP Defends the Move

Meanwhile, the BJP, part of Bihar’s ruling coalition, has defended the revision as a much-needed step to safeguard electoral integrity. BJP leader and Bihar minister Nitin Nabin hit back at critics, accusing the Opposition of opposing transparency. “If genuine voters are being verified and fake ones removed, why does that bother the Congress? Are they relying on fraudulent votes to stay relevant?” he asked.