The Supreme Court has permitted the Election Commission of India to move forward with the Special Intensive Revision of electoral rolls in Bihar but has urged the commission to accept a broader set of identity documents. The Court recommended that voters be allowed to use Aadhaar, Voter ID (EPIC), and ration cards to update their records. This guidance comes amid concerns about delays in voter list updates ahead of the upcoming Bihar assembly elections and aims to ensure transparency and inclusivity in the process.
Petitioners and opposition leaders have welcomed the Supreme Court’s directive, calling it a step in the right direction to prevent voter exclusion. Many have pointed out that several voters, especially migrants and marginalized communities, have not received proper responses after submitting their enumeration forms and could face the risk of being left out of the final voter list.
As part of the revision process, the Election Commission has been collecting Aadhaar and EPIC details through pre-filled forms since June 24. Out of Bihar’s estimated 7.9 crore voters, more than 87 percent of the forms had already been distributed by early July, covering around 6.86 crore individuals.
This development is linked to a series of ongoing legal challenges questioning the SIR exercise. Civil rights groups, political representatives, and the Association for Democratic Reforms have raised concerns that the requirement of eleven specific documents, while excluding more common IDs, could lead to large-scale disenfranchisement. Communities most at risk include the poor, Dalits, Adivasis, migrant workers, and women. The Supreme Court is scheduled to hear these petitions on July 10.
The Election Commission has defended the exercise, stating it is essential for maintaining accurate electoral rolls and ensuring fair elections. While the Court has not halted the ongoing revision, it has strongly recommended that the Election Commission adopt a more inclusive approach to document verification to safeguard every citizen’s right to vote.
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