The Supreme Court of India on Friday agreed to hear pleas filed by the Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) and the All India Majlis-e-Ittehadul Muslimeen (AIMIM) challenging the deadline set for the ongoing Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of Bihar’s electoral rolls. Both parties have sought an extension of the September 1 deadline for filing claims and objections.
Appearing for RJD, advocate Prashant Bhushan informed the bench that nearly 80,000 claims had been filed before the apex court’s August 22 order, with an additional 95,000 submissions made thereafter. He argued that the volume of claims reflected the need for more time to ensure that all eligible voters could file corrections or objections.
According to the Election Commission of India (ECI), as many as 1.62 lakh claims and objections have been received during the exercise, which began on June 24. Of these, 17,516 have already been disposed of after verification. The ECI also noted that while the Communist Party of India (Marxist-Leninist) Liberation submitted just 10 claims, the bulk of the submissions—1,62,453—came directly from electors.
The Special Intensive Revision is aimed at ensuring error-free electoral rolls ahead of the state elections. However, the exercise has triggered a political storm. The opposition INDIA bloc, led by Congress leader Rahul Gandhi, has alleged that the process is a ploy to “steal votes” in favour of the BJP, sharpening the political contest in the state.
The Supreme Court’s decision to hear the matter comes amid escalating tensions between the Election Commission and opposition parties, as the deadline for claims and objections approaches on September 1.
