Guwahati: The Supreme Court on Monday said that the confusion surrounding the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of the electoral rolls in poll-bound Bihar stems largely from a “trust deficit,” and urged political parties to take a more active role in the process.
The bench, comprising Justices Surya Kant and Joymalya Bagchi, was hearing petitions filed by several political leaders from Bihar, including those from the Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD), Congress, and CPI(ML), who requested an extension of the September 1 deadline to submit claims and objections to the draft voter list published by the Election Commission.
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During the hearing, the Election Commission of India (ECI) clarified that it would continue to accept and consider claims, objections, and corrections even after the September 30 deadline.
The ECI assured the bench that it would keep the revision process open until the last date of filing nominations and incorporate all valid updates into the final electoral roll.
“There is no restriction on filing claims, objections, or corrections after September 1,” the bench noted, referring to the ECI’s official stand. “These inputs will be reviewed and integrated into the final roll, which stays open for revision until the nomination deadline.”
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Based on this assurance, the apex court directed political parties and petitioners to submit affidavits in response to the ECI’s submission and allowed the filing of claims, objections, and corrections to continue.
To enhance transparency and facilitate public participation in the electoral roll revision, the court directed the Executive Chairman of the Bihar State Legal Services Authority to deploy para-legal volunteers in each of Bihar’s districts. These volunteers will assist citizens, especially in rural and remote areas, with submitting claims, objections, and corrections through online platforms or designated facilitation centers.
Further, the court instructed all District Legal Services Authorities (DLSAs) to widely publicize the names and contact information of these volunteers to ensure accessibility. It also ordered DLSAs to submit confidential progress reports to the respective District Judges detailing the outreach and assistance provided.
The bench scheduled for September 8 as the next date of hearing to review the status of affidavits submitted by political parties and the progress made by the legal services authorities in facilitating voter registration corrections.
This intervention comes at a crucial time, as Bihar gears up for the upcoming elections. Multiple political parties have raised concerns about alleged irregularities in the draft electoral roll and have questioned the transparency of the revision process.
The Supreme Court’s directive aims to address these concerns by reinforcing the integrity of the process and ensuring every eligible voter’s inclusion.