The Supreme Court on Thursday reserved its judgment in a clutch of petitions challenging the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls conducted by the Election Commission in Bihar. One of the key pleas was filed by the NGO Association for Democratic Reforms (ADR), raising concerns over the legality and transparency of the revision exercise.
A bench led by Chief Justice Surya Kant and also comprising Justice Joymalya Bagchi wrapped up the final hearing after extensive arguments by several senior advocates, including Kapil Sibal, Abhishek Manu Singhvi, Prashant Bhushan, and Gopal Sankaranarayan on behalf of the petitioners. The Election Commission of India (ECI) was represented by senior advocates Rakesh Dwivedi and Maninder Singh.
During the rejoinder arguments, the petitioners reiterated their apprehensions regarding the possibility of wrongful deletion and inclusion of voters during the SIR process. They argued that such revisions could lead to disenfranchisement, particularly of marginalized sections, and questioned the ECI’s methods and data sources.
The top court had begun final arguments in the matter on August 12 last year, when it remarked that the inclusion or exclusion of names in the electoral roll is constitutionally entrusted to the Election Commission. The ECI, in its defence, justified the SIR process and clarified that it does not treat Aadhaar or voter ID cards as conclusive proof of citizenship, reiterating that citizenship determination lies outside the scope of such documents.
The verdict, when delivered, will be significant not just for Bihar but could also have broader implications for voter roll management and the use of identification documents in the electoral process across the country.
