In a major development, a Public Interest Litigation (PIL) has been filed under Article 32 of the Constitution before the Supreme Court, challenging the Election Commission of India's (ECI) "Special Intensive Revision" (SIR) of electoral rolls in Bihar. The PIL claimed that it could result in large-scale disenfranchisement ahead of the upcoming Bihar Assembly elections-2025.
Revision process forces existing voters to re-establish their eligibility
The petitioner said that the revision process forces existing voters to re-establish their eligibility using a narrow set of 11 documents. It purposely leaves out widely held proofs such as Aadhaar cards, ration cards, and MGNREGA job cards.
Direct violation of the natural justice principle
The PIL pointed out that failure to submit the requisite forms by the July 25, 2025, deadline would result in an automatic deletion of names without providing any chance for the affected voters to be heard. The petition contends it is a direct violation of the natural justice principle.
Immediate stay on SIR sought
The PIL, filed by politician Yogendra Singh Yadav, has sought an immediate stay on the SIR, calling it "manifestly arbitrary, unreasonable, and violative of electoral laws." As part of the interim relief, the petitioner has urged the top court to stay the ongoing SIR process, prevent any deletions from the existing electoral rolls last updated in January 2025, and direct the ECI to conduct Bihar's elections using those existing rolls.
Revision process excessively impacts marginalized groups
The petition says that the revision process excessively impacts marginalized groups such as women, SC/ST communities, and migrants, many of whom lack the required documents. According to the PIL, the 90-day verification window, coinciding with Bihar's monsoon season, is impractical given the fact that a large number of these sections of people lack birth certificates, land documents, or other mandated identity proofs, as per media reports leading to the confusion among Bihar's 7.89 crore voters.
Prakash Kumar Pandey
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National