The Supreme Court has consented to hear a series of petitions contesting the Election Commission of India’s (ECI) decision to undertake a Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of the electoral rolls in Bihar, ahead of the forthcoming Assembly elections. The move follows sharp opposition from political parties, notably constituents of the INDIA bloc, which have raised concerns regarding the legality, timing, and potential disenfranchisement resulting from the revision exercise.
The ECI initiated the SIR process in Bihar using the 2002–03 electoral roll as the foundational document. The current revision departs from previous practice by employing semi-filled pre-printed enumeration forms delivered via booth-level officers (BLOs) to nearly 1.5 crore households across the state. According to the Commission, over 6.86 crore forms have been distributed, and approximately 38 lakh have been collected. Political parties have also been engaged in the process, with 1.55 lakh booth-level agents (BLAs) authorised to submit up to 50 certified forms daily.
RJD MP Dr. Manoj Jha, a lead petitioner, has raised concerns regarding the exclusion of migrant workers, noting that “many of them, although listed in the 2003 voter rolls, are unlikely to return to Bihar within the 30-day window prescribed for submitting enumeration forms.” This, he argues, could result in the deletion of names from the electoral rolls, violating Rule 21A of the Registration of Electors Rules, 1960.
Additionally, opposition leaders have accused the Commission of operating in a manner inconsistent with its constitutional mandate. Congress spokesperson Pawan Khera stated that the party has “lost all faith in the ECI brass,” characterising the Commission's top officials as acting like “bicholia” (middlemen) of the government.
The matter is now set for hearing on July 10, wherein the Supreme Court will examine the legality of the ECI’s decision to conduct the Special Intensive Revision of electoral rolls in Bihar. Further judicial scrutiny is anticipated on whether the exercise complies with the constitutional principles of electoral inclusion and the statutory obligations under the Registration of Electors Rules, 1960
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