The Supreme Court has permitted the Election Commission of India (ECI) to proceed with its Special Intensive Revision of electoral rolls in poll-bound Bihar.
However, the court directed the ECI to consider key identity documents—Aadhaar, Voter ID, and Ration Card—during the process, amid concerns raised by opposition parties over the exclusion of eligible voters.
Documents Must Be Considered, Says SC
A bench of Justices Sudhanshu Dhulia and Joymalya Bagchi made it clear that the ECI must take into account the three documents when verifying voter identities during the revision process. While the court did not stay the SIR, it stressed that if the ECI chooses not to accept these documents, it must provide valid reasons that are sufficient to address the petitioners’ concerns.
“We are of the prima facie opinion that in the interest of justice, the Election Commission will also include documents like Aadhaar, Ration Card, Voter ID card, etc. It is for the ECI to decide whether it wants to accept the documents or not, and if it does not, then provide reasons for its decision, which shall be sufficient to satisfy the petitioners,” the bench stated.
Singhvi: SC Has Kept All Merits Open
Senior advocate Abhishek Manu Singhvi, representing several petitioners including Trinamool MP Mahua Moitra and eight political parties, welcomed the Supreme Court’s observations and stressed that all core issues remain open for further debate.
“Since I am the lead counsel in the Supreme Court for eight political parties and also for Ms Mahua Moitra, I will not speak elaborately on the merits of the matter. After extensive arguments, the honourable Supreme Court has clearly suggested that there are three documents namely Aadhar, EC voter ID and ration card they also considered by the EC in the process of enumeration,” Singhvi told media.
He added, “The two, they were alleged us to be excluded all over Bihar. This is a significant advance. All other merits remain open and time for reply by the end of July has been given.”
Petitions Filed By Key Opposition Leaders, Activists
The batch of petitions challenging the ECI’s conduct of the SIR in Bihar was filed by RJD MP Manoj Jha, the Association for Democratic Reforms (ADR), People’s Union for Civil Liberties (PUCL), activist Yogendra Yadav, Mahua Moitra, and former Bihar MLA Mujahid Alam.
They alleged that the SIR process could lead to large-scale exclusions of legitimate voters, particularly from marginalized and minority communities, due to arbitrary rejection of valid identity documents.
Next Steps
The Supreme Court has now given the petitioners time till the end of July to file their reply. While the SIR process can continue, the ECI will have to ensure transparency and fairness in document verification, especially considering the upcoming elections in Bihar.
This development is being seen as a significant check on the ECI’s discretion and a move towards protecting the inclusivity and integrity of the electoral roll.
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