Patna/NEW DELHI, July 5 — The Association for Democratic Reforms (ADR) has approached the Supreme Court challenging the Election Commission of India’s (ECI) directive to carry out a Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls in Bihar, arguing that the move could lead to large-scale voter disenfranchisement just months ahead of the state’s assembly elections.
Filed by advocate Prashant Bhushan, the plea seeks to set aside the EC’s June 24 order, alleging that the SIR exercise violates Articles 14, 19, 21, 325, and 326 of the Constitution, as well as provisions of the Representation of the People Act, 1950, and Rule 21A of the Registration of Electors Rules, 1960.
Bhushan said the order “can arbitrarily and without due process disenfranchise lakhs of voters and disrupt free and fair elections.” The petition also questions the timeline and documentation requirements of the revision exercise, arguing that the rushed procedure could exclude genuine voters.
“The lack of adequate notice, deficient procedural safeguards, and the sheer scale of documentation required make it inevitable that lakhs of genuine names will be removed from the rolls,” Bhushan stated.
The EC, defending the move, has cited rapid urbanisation, high migration rates, the growing number of first-time voters, non-reporting of deaths, and the presence of foreign illegal immigrants as key reasons necessitating the SIR. The last such revision in Bihar was conducted in 2003.
The Commission said the door-to-door verification is being conducted by booth-level officers to ensure accuracy and transparency. “The exercise is aimed at weeding out ineligible names and ensuring only eligible citizens are included,” the EC said, adding that it will “scrupulously adhere” to constitutional provisions, particularly Article 326 and Section 16 of the Representation of the People Act, 1950.
With Bihar set to go to polls later this year, the controversy over voter roll revisions has sparked concerns among civil society groups and political observers about the fairness and inclusivity of the electoral process. The Supreme Court is expected to hear the matter soon.
