On Friday, the Supreme Court agreed to hear, on September 1, applications filed by the Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD), Communist Party of India (Marxist–Leninist) Liberation [CPI(M-L)], and NGO Association for Democratic Reforms, seeking extension of the September 1 deadline for filing claims and objections under the ongoing Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls in Bihar.
The petitioners urged that the deadline be pushed to September 15, citing large-scale exclusion of voters from the draft rolls, rejection of Aadhaar as a standalone document despite the Court’s earlier order, and worsening flood conditions in several districts of the State.
Advocate Prashant Bhushan and Advocate Neha Rathi mentioned the matter before Justice Surya Kant, stressing that the number of claims had doubled from 84,305 on August 22 to 1,78,948 on August 27 following the Court’s directive allowing voters to file claims with Aadhaar. However, political parties alleged that Booth Level Officers (BLOs) continued to refuse Aadhaar as valid proof and insisted on additional documents or Form 6.
The RJD, in its application, asserted that claims submitted with Aadhaar were being acknowledged by BLOs but not recorded in the Election Commission of India’s (ECI) daily status reports, creating what it called a “wrong narrative” of non-cooperation by political parties. The CPI(M-L) raised similar objections, contending that BLOs were treating Aadhaar submissions as insufficient for re-inclusion.
The parties also highlighted the severe flood situation affecting 12 districts, 54 blocks, and 348 panchayats, making it impossible for citizens to prioritise voter registration. “In these extraordinary circumstances, it is unreasonable to expect ordinary citizens to prioritise voter registration over immediate survival and rehabilitation concerns,” the plea stated.
The Court will now examine whether the deadline requires extension to ensure compliance with its earlier order and to safeguard the voting rights of affected electors.
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