SC to hear pleas challenging revision of electoral rolls in Bihar on July 10

The Supreme Court will likely hear pleas challenging the Election Commision of India (ECI)’s decision to order Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls in poll-bound Bihar on July 10.

This comes after pleas were filed by Association for Democratic Reforms (ADR), the RJD, the Congress, Trinamool Congress MP Mahua Moitra and the People’s Union for Civil Liberties challenging the ECI’s decision.

The Election Commission had on June 24 directed carrying out an SIR in Bihar, to weed out ineligible names and ensure only eligible citizens are included in the electoral rolls.

The ECI stated that voters have to submit their documents before July 25. However, those who failed to do so would get an opportunity “during the claims and objections period”.

Mahua Moitra files plea

On Sunday, Moitra filed her petition, apprehending that such a second revision of the voters list could be replicated in West Bengal.  

Not only did her petition challenge the ECI’s order directing the SIR of electoral rolls in Bihar, but the TMC MP also demanded that the Supreme Court restrain the poll body from issuing similar orders for the SIR of electoral rolls in other states of the country.

ADR challenges ECI’s decision

ADR had moved a writ petition before the Supreme Court last week challenging the EECI’s decision to revise electoral rolls in Bihar ahead of the ensuing Assembly polls.  

As per the petition, order of SIR of electoral rolls in Bihar, if not set aside, can “arbitrarily” and “without due process” disenfranchise lakhs of voters from electing their representatives, and disrupt free and fair elections and democracy — a part of basic structure of the Constitution.

“The documentation requirements of the directive, lack of due process as well as the unreasonably short timeline for the said Special Intensive Revision of Electoral Roll in Bihar (SIR) further make this exercise bound to result in removal of names of lakhs of genuine voters from electoral rolls leading to their disenfranchisement,” contended the petition.

It added that the SIR order issued on June 24 by the ECI excluded identification documents such as Aadhar or ration cards, which make marginalised communities (such as SC, STs and migrant workers) and the poor more vulnerable to exclusion from voting. The declaration as required under the SIR process is violative of Article 326 in so far as it requires a voter to provide documents to prove his citizenship and also the citizenships of his mother or father, failing which his name would not be added to the draft electoral roll and can be deleted, further stated the petition.

It said, “The ECI has issued an unreasonable and impractical timeline to conduct SIR in Bihar with close proximity to state (Assembly) elections, which are due in November 2025.” Referring to reports from Bihar, the plea claimed that lakhs of voters from villages and marginalised communities do not possess the documents being sought from them, and they should not be excluded from voting due to the stringent requirements as mentioned in the SIR order. 

As per the plea, the requirement of citizenship documents contravenes the requirement of specific grounds for deletion of names from electoral rolls (e.g., death, non-residence, or disqualification under Section 16 of the Representation of the People Act, 1950). Saying that since 2003, five general elections and five Assembly elections have taken place in Bihar with continuous addition and deletion of names in electoral roll, the petition said that the manner in which ECI has issued SIR orders in a poll bound state like Bihar, has raised questions from all stakeholders, particularly the voters.

It added that there is no reason for such a “drastic exercise” in a poll-bound state in such a short period of time, violating the right to vote of lakhs of voters.

ECI counters

ECI on Sunday said the first phase of the process has been completed smoothly and in accordance with guidelines.

In a detailed press note, the ECI said that “no changes have been made in the SIR instructions issued on June 24”, refuting claims from various quarters that the process was being manipulated to favour the ruling dispensation ahead of the upcoming Bihar Assembly elections.

So far, 1.69 crore Enumeration Forms, nearly 21.46 per cent of Bihar’s 7.90 crore registered voters, have been collected, with over 65 lakh forms submitted in the past 24 hours alone.

“It is reiterated that SIR is being conducted as per the SIR instructions dated July 24 2025, and there is no change in the instructions. As per instructions, draft electoral rolls that will be issued on August 1 2025, will contain the names of persons whose enumeration forms are received,” the poll body said.

Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar, addressing political concerns, stated, “During the past 4 months, all 4,123 EROs, all 775 DEOs and all 36 CEOs have held nearly 5,000 meetings with 28,000 political party representatives. ECI has also invited all recognised political parties for interaction. No one was satisfied with the current status of electoral rolls for one reason or the other.”