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The Supreme Court has agreed to hear a group of petitions challenging the Election Commission’s Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of the voter list in Bihar, which is scheduled to go to polls later this year. The hearing is set for Thursday.
“Bihar SIR petition allowed in SC. Notice issued. Hearing on Thursday. Satyameva Jayate,” Trinamool Congress MP Mahua Moitra posted on X, confirming the Supreme Court’s decision to admit the plea challenging the Election Commission’s Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of the voter list in Bihar. Moitra is one of several petitioners, including RJD MP Manoj Jha, the Association for Democratic Reforms (ADR), the People’s Union for Civil Liberties, activist Yogendra Yadav, and former MLA Mujahid Alam, who have raised alarms over the revision process. Represented by Senior Advocates Kapil Sibal, Abhishek Manu Singhvi, Shadan Farasat, and Gopal Sankaranarayanan, the petitioners argued that the exercise could lead to the mass deletion of voter names, disproportionately affecting women, the poor, and marginalised communities.
The Election Commission launched the Special Intensive Revision on June 24, citing the need to update the electoral roll in light of rapid urbanisation, internal migration, emergence of new eligible voters, unreported deaths, and concerns about foreign nationals illegally listed as voters.
According to the Commission, Booth Level Officers (BLOs) are carrying out house-to-house verification. Officials have been instructed to strictly follow eligibility criteria and disqualification norms.
Emphasising inclusivity, the EC has said that genuine electors, particularly the elderly, the ill, people with disabilities (PwDs), and other vulnerable groups must not face any harassment. Political parties have been asked to cooperate in identifying discrepancies early in the process.
The move has drawn strong criticism from the Opposition. The Congress warned of the risk of "wilful exclusion" through the misuse of government machinery.
“Lakhs of government officials will now decide who has the right documents and who doesn’t. This creates an opportunity for targeted exclusion of voters by the state,” said the grand old party in a statement.
Leader of the Opposition in Bihar, Tejashwi Yadav, called the timing of the exercise “a conspiracy”. “The last full revision was done in 2003, and it took nearly two years to complete. Now, with elections due in November and flood conditions affecting 73% of the state, the EC wants to revise the entire roll of 8 crore people in just 25 days,” said Yadav, questioning the practicality and intent of the Commission’s move, given the scale and timeframe involved.
The ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) in Bihar has defended the revision, saying it is crucial to maintain the integrity of the electoral process.
BJP leader and state minister Nitin Nabin hit back at the Opposition, asking, “If genuine voters are being verified and fake ones removed, why is Congress objecting? Are they trying to rely on fake votes to win elections?” He further added, “This is not about exclusion; it is about cleansing the system. The Opposition’s resistance raises serious questions about their intentions.”
