The Supreme Court on October 16 deferred to November 4 the hearing of petitions challenging the Election Commission of India’s (ECI) Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of Bihar’s electoral rolls—just days before the state heads into its two-phase Assembly elections on November 6 and 11.
During the proceedings, Advocate Prashant Bhushan, appearing for the Association for Democratic Reforms (ADR), urged the bench—comprising Justices Surya Kant and Joymalya Bagchi—to direct the Election Commission to release a detailed and transparent final voter list. Bhushan argued that the list should clearly indicate the names added and deleted, along with reasons for such changes, to prevent any manipulation or disenfranchisement, reported Live Law.
Responding to the plea, Senior Advocate Rakesh Dwivedi, representing the ECI, informed the Court that the Commission was already in the process of publishing the final voter rolls. He explained that the lists would be frozen on October 17 for the first phase and on October 20 for the second phase of polling, in accordance with the respective nomination deadlines, as per the reports. Dwivedi questioned the necessity of judicial intervention, asserting that the ECI was already complying with its constitutional obligations.
He further pointed out that no appeals had been filed challenging voter deletions, despite the Court’s earlier directive ensuring free legal aid for those whose names were struck off.
Meanwhile, other petitioners—represented by Senior Advocate Gopal Sankaranarayanan and Advocate Vrinda Grover—urged the bench to consider the broader constitutional question of whether the ECI possesses the authority to conduct a Special Intensive Revision. The bench instructed the Commission to submit written notes clarifying its position on this issue and took on record an affidavit filed by the ECI rebutting earlier submissions made by ADR and activist Yogendra Yadav. Petitioners were allowed to file written responses to the affidavit.
The matter, which strikes at the core of electoral transparency and the limits of the ECI’s powers, will now be heard again on November 4—just two days before Bihar’s voters head to the polls for the first phase of elections.
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