SC Says Bihar Voter List Revision Results Can Be Suspended Till September If Illegality Is Established
The Supreme Court stated on Tuesday that the outcome of the ongoing “special intensive revision” of Bihar’s voter list can be stayed until September if any illegality is proved.
The Election Commission of India (ECI) informed the court that it is conducting a “purification exercise” and urged petitioners to cooperate instead of trying to obstruct the process.
The court was hearing petitions challenging the ECI’s voter re-verification drive, which is being conducted just months before the Bihar Assembly elections. Petitioners have termed it “a mass exclusion exercise” and argued that the poll body does not have the authority to determine citizenship.
The Supreme Court agreed with the ECI’s stance that Aadhaar cannot be treated as conclusive proof of citizenship. On complaints regarding voters marked as deceased, the court said these might be due to “inadvertent errors” while updating records. Petitioners had produced two individuals in court who were reportedly declared dead in the voter lists.
The petitioners also questioned the constitutional validity of the poll panel demanding additional documents from voters, apart from Aadhaar and voter ID, to prove their eligibility.
The ECI dismissed these claims as speculative, noting that no political party or individual voter had approached the court over this matter. The bench also observed that it was a “broad generalisation” to claim that no resident in Bihar possessed the required documents.
In an affidavit filed last week, the Election Commission assured the Supreme Court that no one’s name will be removed from the draft electoral roll without prior notice and a formal order.
The poll panel had given a deadline of September 1 for citizens and political parties to file claims and objections on the draft rolls.
Meanwhile, political debates over the ECI’s Special Intensive Revision (SIR) continued on Tuesday, with several parties protesting the exercise even within Parliament.
