Today in Politics: An update on SIR revision — from the EC and an appeal by Bihar Chief Electoral Officer

Indian Express

3 days ago

A day after a petition was filed in the Supreme Court challenging the Election Commission's (EC) controversial Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls in Bihar, the poll panel wrote to Chief Electoral Officers (CEOs) of all other states on July 5, directing them to begin preparations for a similar exercise — this time with January 1, 2026, as the qualifying date.
The qualifying date mentioned in the letter indicates that while the nationwide exercise may start soon, a final timeline for the rest of the country is yet to be decided — though the aim is to include everyone who turns 18 years of age by January 1, 2026.
Since 2003 has been chosen for Bihar as 'probative evidence of eligibility' — meaning voters on the electoral roll that year, when the last intensive revision was done, will be presumed Indian citizens unless proven otherwise — other states are also likely to use the year of their last intensive roll revision as the cut-off for presumption of citizenship for existing voters.
For instance, Delhi's electoral roll was last intensively revised in 2008.
In its instructions, the Commission — referring to paragraph 10 of its order dated June 24, when it formally announced the SIR in Bihar and said detailed guidelines for the rest of the country would follow — has asked all CEOs to complete 'pre-revision activities.'
The EC's letter is significant against the backdrop of the upcoming Assembly elections in 2025 in BJP-ruled Assam; TMC-ruled West Bengal; DMK-ruled Tamil Nadu; and Left-ruled Kerala. The Union Territory of Puducherry will also elect a new Assembly next year.
Whether the SIR in these four states — three of which are ruled by Opposition parties at the Centre — will be linked to the Assembly elections next year may depend on how the Supreme Court hearing on the Bihar exercise unfolds.
During the hearing on Thursday (July 10), the court raised concerns about the timing of the exercise and whether it could be delinked from the state election. Justice Joymalya Bagchi, part of the two-judge bench, flagged the risk of disenfranchising voters by removing names from the rolls just months before polling, even if the broader objective of cleansing the rolls is legitimate.
The Supreme Court eventually declined to restrain the EC from proceeding with its intensive revision of electoral rolls in poll-bound Bihar but suggested that the poll panel also consider Aadhaar, voter ID, and ration cards for the purpose of updating the rolls.
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In Bihar, EC doesn't follow its own practice, puts burden of proof on voters, ignores existing rolls
In a conversation with The Indian Express, Bihar's Chief Electoral Officer Vinod Singh Gunjiyal, a 2007 batch IAS officer, addressed concerns about the SIR exercise in Bihar.
Asked what happens to those voters who have submitted forms without one of the 11 mandated documents for the exercise, Gunjiyal said: 'We took out advertisements in newspapers twice that voters can submit forms with or without one of 11 documents. There is no need to panic — documents can be submitted by August 30. A BLO (Booth Level Officer) will attach those documents with respective uploaded forms. We also know that there's been a surge in domicile applications (one of the 11 documents) by voters. They can submit it to us by 30 August.'
On the Supreme Court's suggestions to consider Aadhar, voter ID and ration cards as valid documents for the exercise, he said the ECI's legal team will looking at the suggestions of the Supreme Court.
'ECI goes per mandate of Article 326. We are here to follow ECI's order. There are learned people in Honourable Supreme Court and ECI. Let them discuss and decide. Ayog ka mandate hai: sahi electors rahna chahiye, galat katna chahiye,' he said.
In the Valley
The Srinagar district magistrate on Saturday rejected the National Conference's plea seeking permission to pay homage to the 22 people 'martyred' by the forces of the Dogra Maharaja of Jammu and Kashmir, Hari Singh, on July 13, 1931.
The party, in an application sent to the district magistrate, had said that NC president Farooq Abdullah and other senior functionaries intend to visit the graveyard of 'martyrs' at Naqshband Sahib near Nowhatta on Sunday.
'The District Administration Srinagar has denied permission to all applicants intending to proceed towards Khawaja Bazar, Nowhatta on 13th July 2025 (Sunday),' Srinagar Police said in a public advisory posted on its handle on X.
The police said the general public is hereby advised to strictly comply with these instructions and refrain from violating the orders issued by the district administration.
'Any violation of these orders shall invite strict legal action under relevant provisions of law,' the police warned.
July 13 used to be a public holiday in Jammu and Kashmir before the reorganisation of the erstwhile state into two Union territories in August 2019. A state function would be held every year on the day. However, the administration dropped the day from the list of gazetted holidays in 2020.
— With PTI inputs