A bench of the Supreme Court, led by Justices Surya Kant and Joymalya Bagchi, has directed the Election Commission of India (ECI) to publish district-wise details of approximately 65 lakh names removed from Bihar’s voter rolls during the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) by August 19, 2025. The court ordered the ECI to list not only the names but also the reasons for deletion—such as death, migration, or duplication—and to make the list searchable by EPIC number (Moneylife, Live Law, The Indian Express, Rediff).
Justice Kant emphasized that individuals should not need to rely on political parties to verify their electoral status, stating transparency is essential for “voter confidence” (Moneylife, Live Law). The court also insisted on wide publicity across vernacular newspapers, Doordarshan, radio, and official social media. Booth-wise lists must be posted at block development and panchayat offices for manual access (Moneylife, Live Law).
In addition, the court directed that Aadhaar cards be accepted by voters submitting claims for reinstatement—adding it to the list of valid documents for identity verification. A searchable EPIC-based database must be implemented on district and state electoral websites (Moneylife, Live Law, Reddit).
While the ECI maintained that 22 lakh of the deletions were due to death and exercised its legal powers under Section 21(3) of the Representation of the People Act, the bench deemed public disclosure necessary to uphold citizens’ voting rights (Rediff, The Indian Express).
Wider Context & Reactions
- Scale of Revision: The SIR exercise in Bihar removed around 65.64 lakh names, reducing the voter list from 7.9 crore to 7.24 crore, drawing sharp criticism for alleged exclusionary impact (The Economic Times, The Times of India).
- Opposition & Activists: Leaders like P. Chidambaram and CPI(ML)’s Dipankar Bhattacharya described the deletions as “alarming,” alleging disproportionate disenfranchisement of migrants, marginalized communities, and minorities (The Times of India).
- ECI’s Position: The ECI clarified that no deletions would occur without prior notice and opportunity to respond, and asserted its exclusive authority to conduct the SIR (The Times of India).
