SC to hear pleas against EC's special voter roll revision in Bihar on Thursday
A Bench of Justices Sudhanshu Dhulia and Joymalya Bagchi will take up the matter on Thursday (July 10). The petitions argue that the timing and methodology of the SIR could disenfranchise lakhs of eligible voters and undermine the fairness of the upcoming elections.
On June 24, the Election Commission issued instructions to begin a special revision exercise in Bihar to identify and remove ineligible voters and to ensure that only eligible citizens remain on the rolls.
However, the petitioners have raised concerns about the voter verification process. They claim that requiring specific documents, while excluding Aadhaar and ration cards, could lead to mass disenfranchisement. Migrant workers, marginalized communities, and long-time voters without ready access to the required paperwork may be disproportionately affected.
The Election Commission has defended its decision, stating that the SIR is a routine part of maintaining accurate electoral rolls. It cited factors such as rising urbanisation, migration, and demographic shifts as reasons for the revision. The Commission has also clarified that affected voters can submit claims and objections during a designated window.
The Supreme Courts decision to examine the issue comes at a crucial moment as Bihar prepares for elections. Accuracy of voter rolls is expected to be a politically sensitive issue in the months ahead.
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West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee too has criticised the exercise, alleging that the Election Commission is targeting Bengal's youth under the guise of a new voter list verification process. 'This is very concerning. They have introduced a declaration form for getting your name on the voter list. For those born between July 1, 1987 and December 2, 2004, a new declaration form must be submitted along with the parents' birth certificates to enrol their names in the voters' list. The ECI says that parents' birth certificates must be submitted. What is going on in the name of full enumeration? This is a document and declaration form from the ECI. There are many irregularities," Banerjee said. Leader of Opposition and former Deputy CM of Bihar, Tejashwi Yadav, said: 'The EC's move is to disenfranchise the poor and marginalised sections of voters who have only Aadhaar as their valid document, which the EC says is not acceptable." The Opposition got a shot in the arm when Association for Democratic Reforms (ADR), which has helped usher in several electoral reforms, moved the apex court against the EC's decision. A group of leaders from 11 parties of the INDIA bloc met with senior Election Commission officials to voice their opposition to SIR, condemning it as the 'greatest assault on the fundamental structure of the Constitution". top videos View all On Monday, the Supreme Court agreed to hear on July 10 a batch of pleas challenging the Election Commission of India's move to conduct SIR in poll-bound Bihar. Senior Advocates Kapil Sibal, Dr Abhishek Manu Singhvi, Gopal Sankaranarayanan, and Shadan Farasat jointly mentioned the matter before a partial working days bench comprising Justice Sudhanshu Dhulia and Justice Joymalya Bagchi, seeking urgent listing. About the Author Apoorva Misra Apoorva Misra is News Editor at with over nine years of experience. She is a graduate from Delhi University's Lady Shri Ram College and holds a PG Diploma from Asian College of Journalism, Chennai. More Get Latest Updates on Movies, Breaking News On India, World, Live Cricket Scores, And Stock Market Updates. Also Download the News18 App to stay updated! tags : 2025 Bihar elections BJP congress election commission electoral roll news18 specials Location : Patna, India, India First Published: July 07, 2025, 12:01 IST News explainers What Is The Election Commission's Special Intensive Revision In Bihar & Why Has It Created A Stir?
