The Supreme Court on Monday issued a stern warning to the Election Commission of India (ECI), stating that it could annul the entire Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls in poll-bound Bihar if any illegality is detected in the methodology adopted.
A bench comprising Justices Surya Kant and Joymalya Bagchi, hearing the matter against the SIR exercise, noted that it was presuming the poll panel, as a constitutional authority, had followed all legal and mandatory rules while conducting the exercise. The bench also refused to give a piecemeal opinion, clarifying that its final verdict on the matter would have pan-India implications. The court has scheduled final arguments on the validity of the SIR exercise in Bihar for October 7.
On September 8, the Supreme Court directed that Aadhaar be treated as the twelfth valid document for inclusion in Bihar’s electoral rolls during the ongoing SIR exercise. The order followed complaints that election officials were refusing to accept Aadhaar despite earlier instructions. The court overruled the Election Commission’s objections, stating that while Aadhaar cannot establish citizenship, it remains a legitimate proof of identity and residence.
The SIR drive has faced criticism from opposition parties, who claim that lakhs of genuine voters are being removed from the rolls without proper verification. They argued that excluding Aadhaar from the EC’s approved list of 11 documents unfairly disadvantages voters, given its widespread availability compared to other identity proofs. On August 18, the ECI had published a draft list showing that 65 lakh names were deleted as part of the SIR exercise.
Meanwhile, the Election Commission has rebuked the opposition over allegations of “vote chori” (vote theft), accusing political parties of misleading voters and shifting blame onto the poll body. Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar has also asked Congress leader and Lok Sabha Opposition chief Rahul Gandhi to either file an affidavit with evidence supporting his claims or issue a public apology for his allegations against the poll panel.