Supreme Court Directs EC to Publicise Deleted Voter List in Bihar, Allows Aadhaar for Claims
The Supreme Court has directed the Election Commission to publicise the list of deleted voters in Bihar’s draft electoral roll and allowed Aadhaar cards for claims. Compliance report due August 22.
Kevin Varchand 
Delhi (India) August 14: The Supreme Court on Thursday directed the Election Commission of India (EC) to widely publicise the list of deleted voters in Bihar’s draft electoral roll, along with the reasons for their removal. The court said voters aggrieved by their deletion could file claims using their Aadhaar card as proof of identity.
A bench of Justices Surya Kant and Joymalya Bagchi issued the order while hearing pleas challenging the EC’s June 24 decision to conduct a Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of the electoral rolls in Bihar. The top court also told the EC to ensure the list is made available through newspapers, radio, and television, so that citizens are not solely dependent on political parties for information.
The EC has been asked to submit a compliance report by August 22, after which the court will continue hearing the matter.
SC Questions EC on Transparency
During the proceedings, the bench questioned why the names of voters removed due to death, migration, or relocation could not be made public. “Why can’t you put these names on a display board or a website? Those aggrieved can take remedial measures within 30 days,” the court said.
The EC responded that the names had already been shared with political parties, but after the court’s observation, it agreed to publish them more widely.
Opposition and Civil Society Challenge
The revision drive has been challenged by opposition parties, including the Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) and the Congress, as well as the NGO Association for Democratic Reforms (ADR). They have alleged that the process could lead to wrongful deletions and disenfranchisement of voters.
Earlier, on August 13, the Supreme Court noted that electoral rolls cannot remain “static” and that periodic revisions are necessary. It also said that the EC’s decision to expand the list of acceptable identity documents from seven to eleven for the Bihar SIR was “voter-friendly and not exclusionary.”
With the court’s new directive, Bihar voters who believe their names have been wrongly deleted will now have greater access to information and an opportunity to restore their voting rights before the electoral process moves forward.
