Bihar SIR: Election Commission Agrees To Share Names Of Deleted Voters After Supreme Court Grilling
During a hearing on the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of the electoral rolls in Bihar, the apex court asked the poll body why it could not make public the names of voters who had died, migrated, or shifted to other constituencies. The ECI informed the court that these details had already been shared with political parties in Bihar.
'Why not display these names on a notice board or a website? This would allow affected individuals to seek corrective action within 30 days,' the court remarked, stressing that citizens should not be dependent on political parties to access such information.
The bench suggested that the ECI issue a public notice specifying where — either online or in physical form — the details of such voters could be accessed.
In its order, the Supreme Court directed the ECI to publish the names of approximately 65 lakh voters removed from Bihar's draft list through local newspapers, Doordarshan, radio, and official social media channels. Additionally, the booth-wise list must be displayed at all Panchayat Bhawans, Block Development Offices, and Panchayat Offices to ensure the public can manually access the information.
The directions were issued by a bench comprising Justices Surya Kant and Joymalya Bagchi, while hearing multiple petitions challenging the ECI's June 26 order regarding the SIR in Bihar.
On August 13, the top court had observed that electoral rolls cannot remain 'static' and that periodic revisions are necessary. It also noted that expanding the list of acceptable identity documents from seven to eleven for Bihar's SIR was 'voter-friendly and not exclusionary.'
The revision drive has been contested by opposition parties, including the Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD), the Congress, and the NGO Association for Democratic Reforms (ADR).
The SIR exercise in 2025 led to the removal of around 65 lakh names from Bihar's draft electoral rolls.
ALSO READ: SC Directs ECI To Publish List Of 65 Lakh Bihar Voters Deleted From Draft Roll, Cite Reasons
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Time of India
28 minutes ago
- Time of India
In Bengal, Matuas line up in millions for citizenship under CAA
At a time when the national opposition is protesting alleged "vote theft" and the special intensive revision (SIR) of electoral rolls in Bihar, millions of applications for Indian citizenship under the Citizenship (Amendment) Act, 2019, are pouring in from the Matua community across West Bengal. Independence Day 2025 Modi signals new push for tech independence with local chips Before Trump, British used tariffs to kill Indian textile Bank of Azad Hind: When Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose gave India its own currency Umbrella organisations of Matuas - a socio-religious group of Hindus who migrated from Bangladesh due to religious persecution - along with the state BJP leadership , are working overtime to ensure Matuas and other refugees not listed in the state's voter rolls post 2002 SIR apply for citizenship under the CAA with the required documents. "CAA applications will cross one crore people from the Matua community as a large number of people don't have names in the 2002 voter list," All India Matua Mahasangha general secretary Mahitosh Baidya told ET. The CAA allows migrants from Afghanistan, Bangladesh and Pakistan who are Hindus, Sikhs, Buddhists, Jains, Parsis or Christians to obtain Indian citizenship. Special camps are being held across the state to create awareness and assist people with the application process, people aware of the matter said. Central minister Sukanta Majumdar has organised one such camp at his residence in Balurghat for CAA awareness. Several BJP MLAs and leaders are doing the same. Haringhata MLA Asim Sarkar is participating in the process in several camps. "If someone does not have names in 2002 electoral rolls , they could be in trouble during the (upcoming) SIR. So, we are creating CAA awareness camps and guiding them about applications - how to fill up CAA forms and apply for citizenship," said Majumdar, the Balurghat MP. The 2002 SIR put the total number of voters in West Bengal at 45.8 million, spread over 80,000 polling booths. Sources said that in the 2002 exercise, 2.8 million names had been deleted from the electoral rolls. It is learnt that several camps have been organised in Barasat and Bongaon Lok Sabha constituencies and South 24 Parganas district to help the Matuas and other backward refugee communities apply under the CAA. Matua Mahasangha, Sanatani Sajan Samaj and several other organizations are assisting in this process.
Indian Express
an hour ago
- Indian Express
Beyond flags & fireworks: Young India redefines freedom in 2025
By Viraj Mandar Paranjape As India marks its 79th Independence Day, the Tricolour will wave from balconies, roar past on motorcycles, and glow on digital screens. But for today's youth, it's a personal, evolving idea shaped by daily struggles and the pursuit of dignity and not just confined to the history of Independence won in 1947. For 22-year-old Parisa Visal, the day will always honour revolutionaries, soldiers, and martyrs. But this year, her pride is laced with protest. Disturbed by the recent Supreme Court verdict on stray dogs, she insists animal rights must stand alongside human liberty. 'Even in mythology, animals had respect and rights,' she says. For her, Independence Day should also be about 'upgrading our mentality and lifestyle' as a nation. For Agneya Date (25), a young lawyer, freedom carries a sense of duty. 'We must build national character over personal freedom sometimes,' he noted. To him, patriotism isn't just symbolic. 'Rather than just posting tributes to Army on Instagram, we should ensure veterans get timely medical compensation and pensions.' He said true independence starts with decolonising our minds. Others see freedom through the lens of gender, economy, and personal agency. Prachi Upasani, 21, emphasised, 'Living without fear — to work, travel, and express myself without constantly worrying about harassment or judgment is the meaning of liberty.' She calls for breaking free from internalised patriarchy, stressing that independence must be both mental and emotional as much as physical. Upasani puts women's safety at the heart of the conversation. 'True independence for a woman will be the day she doesn't have to think twice about returning home safely,' she says as she calls for collective effort and sees a growing wave of youthful nationalistic discourse as a hopeful sign. For Isha Deshpande, 21, the concept takes on a more pragmatic shade. 'Personally, freedom has a monetary aspect,' she says. While she enjoys other freedoms, she feels true independence will arrive when she starts earning her own income, she told The Indian Express. Meanwhile, Mrugakshi Patki, 22, sees freedom as the ability to live authentically, without fear, judgment, or imposed limits. For her, it's not just the absence of restriction but the presence of choice — to think, speak, and act without seeking permission. 'True independence,' she says, 'is when you can simply be yourself without asking anyone, even yourself, for approval.'
Time of India
2 hours ago
- Time of India
The SIR controversy
The controversy of the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls carried out in Bihar seems to be a never-ending political battle. It would be beneficial for all to remember that India thrives on perceptions and controversies. False or half-truth narratives built by vested interests are a potent tool for our politicians to sway voters. Sometimes these false narratives are also created at the behest of anti-national elements, both within and outside the country. Therefore, at some point, such controversies must be dealt with decisively before they can harm the nation. The EC prepares and maintains the electoral rolls as mandated by the Constitution of India. These lists are updated continually due to various reasons, including deaths, new voter additions, migration, among others. Therefore, any apprehensions that the EC does so under pressure from the government are misplaced. Normally, the onus should be on citizens themselves to inform the local authorities if a name has to be deleted or added. Unfortunately, as a society, we lack such civic responsibilities. Therefore, the responsibility to do so rests with the EC. In the country's over-packed election calendar, such exercises will have to be conducted intensively during the short free periods available. Much has been written and said about Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls in Bihar over the last six weeks. Charges, counter-charges, allegations, and explanations are being traded between the EC, opposition parties, and the government. Unfortunately, the controversy rages on. The opposition is accusing the EC of manipulating the voter lists in Bihar before the next elections to favour the NDA. In his press conference on 07 August 2025, the LOP claimed that the NDA and EC had played similar dirty tricks in the last elections in Karnataka and Maharashtra. He backed these claims with some data from his party's internal investigation. The question that arises here is, if the LOP has convincing data of such a fraud, why has he not submitted it to the EC formally? Is it not incumbent on him to do so as he holds a constitutional post equivalent to a cabinet minister? Given his position in the parliament, the EC will always be ready to give him a patient hearing. But the problem is with the Gandhi scion himself. He refuses to sit formally with the EC and instead makes declarations of all kinds on the streets or in front of the media. His aim is clear. He wishes to incite the public and build a public opinion against the government. He has no genuine interest in resolving any issue through the correct channels in the public interest. Mr Sharad Pawar, the NC (P) founder and a member of the Rajya Sabha, made a statement in Nagpur on Saturday, 09 August 2025, where he said, 'Last year, before the Maharashtra assembly polls were declared, two people came to meet me in Delhi. They told me that of 288 assembly seats in Maharashtra, they can guarantee victory for us in 160.' He further stated, 'I did not have any reason to suspect EC. I also thought during polls, we run into such people, and so I ignored them.' He confirmed that the same people also met Rahul Gandhi. Taking the high pedestal, Mr Pawar concluded by saying that he and Rahul Gandhi decided not to pursue the matter further and allow fate to decide their fortunes. Yet, he maintains that the claims of LOP must be investigated. Maharashtra was a state that Mr. Pawar and Rahul Gandhi wanted to win at any cost. While they may be lauded for their righteous approach, it is hard to believe that they passed the opportunity. But if they did because they neither suspected the EC nor believed in the possibility of manipulation by the people who approached them, then why are they making such a hue and cry about possible frauds in electoral rolls? Mr. Gandhi, in his press conference, admitted that there were serious issues of duplicate, fake, invalid, and multiple entries of voters at the same address. If he is so convinced, then he should welcome the SIR in Bihar before the next elections, rather than seeing it as a fraud against the opposition. Mr. Gandhi's reluctance to discuss the issue with the EC in a formal manner and Mr. Pawar's belated claims give the impression that they are neither serious nor convinced. The EC does not carry out such revisions in isolation. In Bihar, there were nearly 150,000 Booth-level Agents (BLA) of different parties who were part of the SIR exercise with Block Level Officers (BLO). Surprisingly, no representations have been filed against any wrong deletions by the EC by any of the BLAs. The irony is that Mr Tejasvi Yadav, leader of RJD, was himself exposed for having two entries in the electoral rolls with separate unique numbers. The one he flashed to reporters, claiming his voter card's unique number had been deleted, turned out to be bogus. A simple check revealed that he had contested the 2020 elections using another voter card with a different unique number. He used the same card in the 2024 elections. If a senior leader like Mr. Yadav has two voter identities, imagine the state of affairs in the entire state. In this regard, this is what Congress's senior minister K N Rajanna had to say to the media about Rahul Gandhi's charges in Karnataka, 'One should remember that voter lists were revised when our government was at the helm. Why did our party turn a blind eye then? It is true that there are irregularities, but it is insulting for us that it happened right under our noses.' Perhaps in Karnataka, the discrepancies favoured Congress at that time. Within a couple of hours of this statement, Mr. Rajanna was stripped of his cabinet rank and suspended from the party. This is the internal democracy in Congress where no internal dissent is permitted. In the current environment, there is a strong possibility that this false narrative may raise questions about the credibility of the government, EC, and, in turn, the nation's democratic credentials. Notably, it also harms the image of the world's largest democracy. The onus to prevent all this lies squarely on the government. Therefore, it is time to act and take the bull by the horns. The starting point will be the claims by Mr Gandhi in his press conference and Mr. Pawar's statement. It is immaterial if either of them has not approached the government formally. It is time for the government to take the initiative, either through the EC or the Supreme Court, by filing a suitable case. These leaders cannot be allowed to present their cases only on the streets or in the media without accepting any responsibility. National interests demand that they be asked to substantiate their claims formally, and the matter be investigated to settle it one way or the other. Facebook Twitter Linkedin Email Disclaimer Views expressed above are the author's own.
