Image Source: Agencies

July 28, 2025: Before the Assembly elections in October and November of this year, petitions challenging the Election Commission's decision to conduct a special intensive revision (SIR) of Bihar's electoral rolls will be heard by the Supreme Court on Monday. More than 10 petitions, including those by NGO Association for Democratic Reforms (ADR) and the People’s Union for Civil Liberties (PUCL), have been filed in the top court against the SIR.
The petitioners argued that the order was "arbitrary and violative" of the Constitution and the Representation of People's Act, and that it could result in the exclusion of nearly three crore voters.
The petitioners' claim that the exercise can arbitrarily and without due process disenfranchise lakhs of citizens from electing their representatives and the poll panel's affidavit asserting its legal authority and jurisdiction to conduct the SIR will be examined by a Bench composed of Justices Joymalya Bagchi and Surya Kant. On July 10, the top court had asked the Election Commission to consider including Aadhaar, voter I-card and ration card as documents for the SIR.

However, the EC stated that Aadhaar, voter I-card, and ration card could not be accepted as "sufficient standalone documents for the purpose of screening of eligibility prescribed under Article 326" in its affidavit filed in response to PILs challenging its June 24 order for the SIR. The poll panel urged the top court to dismiss the petitions, saying these were based on newspaper articles and were aimed at drumming up the narrative of exclusion.
In Bihar, it claimed that "weeding out ineligible persons" from the electoral rolls contributed to the election's purity. It stated that all major political parties were a part of the SIR exercise and that they used more than 1.5 lakh agents at the booth level to contact eligible voters, despite their opposition to it in the highest court.

NGO Association for Democratic Reforms (ADR) countered the EC's affidavit by arguing that the Election Commission had given no valid reason for its decision to exclude Aadhaar and ration cards from the list of acceptable documents. Noting that Aadhaar was one of the documents accepted for obtaining a permanent residence certificate, any OBC/SC/ST certificate and passports, the NGO said the EC had given no valid reason to exclude Aadhaar and ration cards from the list of acceptable documents.
The electoral registration officers were vested with broad and unchecked discretion that could result in disenfranchisement of a significant segment of Bihar's population, it alleged.
The EC had on June 24 ordered the SIR in Bihar--first since 2003--to weed out ineligible individuals and ensure only eligible citizens were included in the electoral rolls.
According to the report, the exercise was necessary due to rapid urbanization, frequent migration, the election of young citizens, the non-reporting of deaths, and the inclusion of the names of foreign illegal immigrants. The poll panel made it clear that while voters had to "submit their documents any time before July 25, 2025," those who didn't would have another chance "during the claims and objections period also." "Beware of statements being made by a few persons, who without reading the SIR order dated June 24 are attempting to confuse the public with their incorrect and misleading statements," the organization has advised individuals.

RJD MP Manoj Jha and Trinamool Congress MP Mahua Moitra were among the other petitioners opposing the EC's move. Congressman KC Venugopal, leader of the NCP (SP) Supriya Sule, leader of the CPI D Raja, leader of the Samajwadi Party Harinder Singh Malik, leader of the Shiv Sena (UBT) Arvind Sawant, leader of the JMM Sarfraz Ahmed.