Supreme Court Seeks Election Commission’s Response On 65 Lakh Voter Deletion in Bihar

The Supreme Court on Tuesday issued a notice to the Election Commission of India (ECI) seeking a response to allegations that it failed to disclose the names of over 65 lakh voters removed from Bihar's electoral rolls during a Special Intensive Revision (SIR) process. The plea was filed by the NGO Association for Democratic Reforms (ADR), which raised concerns over transparency and procedural violations in the revision process.

The three-judge bench comprising Justices Surya Kant, Ujjal Bhuyan, and N K Singh took note of the allegations and directed the ECI to clarify whether the deleted voters' list was shared with political party representatives and if proper procedures were followed.

ADR Alleges Opaque Voter Deletion

Appearing on behalf of ADR, Advocate Prashant Bhushan told the court that while the ECI's draft roll mentions that 65 lakh names were omitted, no public disclosure has been made identifying those individuals. "They have said people are dead or have migrated, but they haven't revealed who. They must disclose who the 65 lakhs are - who have died, who have migrated," Bhushan argued.

He further claimed that several names were removed without proper recommendations from Booth Level Officers (BLOs). "BLOs, when forwarding the forms, sometimes even mentioned that the person is not recommended for deletion," Bhushan said, questioning the reliability and legality of the revision process.

Court Probes BLO Process and Political Party Communication

Justice Surya Kant referred to the ECI's Standard Operating Procedure (SOP), which requires that lists of deletions be made available to political party representatives at the block level. However, Bhushan countered this, stating, "They have not conveyed anything. And even if they shared the list with some parties, they did not mention the reasons for deletion."

The counsel for the Election Commission defended the process, asserting that the draft rolls were published as required and that the ECI could provide proof of sharing the list with political representatives.

Court Seeks Clarification from ECI

The bench asked the ECI to file a formal reply, clearly stating whether it provided political parties with lists of deleted voters and what justifications, if any, were communicated for each deletion.

"This is still a draft," Justice Kant noted, "and maybe the reasons will be added to the final list." He stressed the need for transparency to ensure that affected voters are informed and have the opportunity to correct errors or contest deletions.

A Matter of Electoral Integrity

The plea by ADR raises larger concerns about electoral integrity and voter disenfranchisement ahead of crucial elections in Bihar and across the country. If the Supreme Court finds procedural lapses, it could have significant implications for how voter rolls are managed in the future.