ADR moves SC against Bihar voter roll revision

Apprehending potential disenfranchisement of nearly three crore voters, the Association of Democratic Reforms (ADR) on Saturday moved the Supreme Court questioning the Election Commission’s decision to conduct a Special Intensive Revision of Electoral Rolls (SIR) in Bihar, which is set to go to polls in October-November 2025.

The EC had announced on June 24 its decision to carry out the SIR in Bihar — the first such exercise since 2003 — to remove ineligible individuals and ensure only eligible citizens are included in the electoral rolls. The EC cited rapid urbanisation, frequent migration, young citizens becoming eligible voters, non-reporting of deaths and the inclusion of names of foreign illegal immigrants as reasons necessitating the revision. The commission stated that the exercise aims to ensure the integrity and accuracy of the electoral rolls. Booth officers are conducting a house-to-house survey for verification as part of the SIR.

The EC asserted it would strictly adhere to constitutional and legal provisions under Article 326 of the Constitution and Section 16 of the Representation of the People Act while conducting the revision.

However, the ADR, in its petition filed through advocate Prashant Bhushan, urged the Supreme Court to quash the EC’s SIR order, calling it arbitrary and in violation of Articles 14, 19, 21, 325, and 326 of the Constitution, as well as provisions of the Representation of the People Act, 1950, and Rule 21A of the Registration of Electors Rules, 1960. The NGO also sought an immediate stay on the implementation of the June 24 order pending the court’s decision.

The ADR argued that the documentation requirements, lack of due process and unreasonably short timeline for the SIR in Bihar could lead to the removal of lakhs of genuine voters from the electoral rolls, effectively disenfranchising them. It alleged that the EC’s order could arbitrarily strip voting rights from lakhs of citizens without due process, undermining free and fair elections.

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