Supreme Court Backs Bihar Voter List Revision But Allows Aadhaar For Inclusion of Excluded Names

The Supreme Court on Friday refused to halt the Election Commission’s controversial voter list revision in poll-bound Bihar but provided a major relief by allowing individuals excluded from the draft roll to use their Aadhaar card as identification to apply for inclusion. While declining to alter the timeline for the Special Intensive Revision (SIR), the court said the poll body could consider extending it if faced with an overwhelming number of applications.

A bench of Justices Surya Kant and Joymalya Bagchi also directed the 12 recognized political parties in Bihar to instruct their Booth Level Agents (BLAs) to assist people in submitting their forms and to file a status report by September 8. The court expressed surprise that out of approximately 1.6 lakh BLAs appointed by political parties, only two objections had been filed, even as some parties claimed their agents were being prevented from submitting them.

The Election Commission, represented by Senior Advocate Rakesh Dwivedi, strongly defended the revision process, accusing political parties of “whipping up fear for their political interests” instead of cooperating. “They are not cooperating,” Dwivedi argued, asking the court to “repose faith in us and give us some more time. We will be able to show you there are no exclusions.” He informed the court that over 2 lakh new voters have already filed for inclusion. Commending the EC’s efforts, the apex court noted that the exercise is ultimately aimed at the “inclusion” of eligible voters.

The revision of Bihar’s electoral rolls, the first such exercise since 2003, has ignited a massive political firestorm. The draft list, released by the Election Commission on Monday, saw the removal of 65 lakh names, reducing the state’s total registered voters from 7.9 crore to 7.24 crore. The opposition has vehemently protested the move, alleging mass disenfranchisement ahead of the crucial assembly elections.