The Election Commission of India (ECI) criticized political parties for opposing the SIR in the Supreme Court despite deploying 1.5 lakh booth agents for voter roll revision in Bihar.
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NEW DELHI: The Election Commission of India (ECI) has told the Supreme Court that all major political parties were actively involved in the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls and had deployed over 1.5 lakh Booth Level Agents (BLAs) across the country, yet some of these parties are now opposing the exercise in court.
In an affidavit filed in response to a plea challenging its June 24 order directing a nationwide SIR starting with Bihar, the ECI asserted its plenary powers to maintain the purity of elections, including updating and correcting electoral rolls. The Commission emphasized that the SIR was necessary to address large-scale changes in the electoral rolls due to urbanization, migration, and concerns over the presence of names of deceased, shifted, or non-citizens.
The ECI said,
“Political parties across the spectrum have also voiced serious concerns regarding the accuracy of electoral rolls revised through the summary revision process, regarding the presence of names of deceased, shifted, and non-citizens in the electoral roll.”
The ECI claimed that several petitioners opposing the SIR were Members of Parliament and Legislative Assembly from Bihar’s recognised political parties who were simultaneously aiding the revision exercise by providing BLAs. It accused them of suppressing these facts in their petitions.
The affidavit detailed the party-wise deployment of BLAs: BJP (52,698), RJD (47,506), JD(U) (35,799), Congress (16,676), LJP (Ram Vilas) (1,153), CPI(ML) (1,271), CPI(M) (739), Rashtriya Lok Janshakti Party (1,913), Rashtriya Lok Samta Party (270), BSP (74), and AAP (1).
Calling the scale of participation by political parties “unprecedented,” the Commission highlighted that the SIR was being conducted transparently and in line with established procedures. It dismissed allegations that the process was rushed, stating that the enumeration was taking place between June 25 and July 26, 2025, and was adequately planned and executed. The ECI said,
“While some of the petitioners are participating in the SIR and, at the same time, objecting here to the transparent exercise conducted by the ECI. These facts were within the knowledge of petitioners but not disclosed before this court, and have been deliberately suppressed. The humble submission on behalf of the ECI is that all the political parties had appreciated the necessity and correctness of the exercise undertaken by the ECI and have been co-operating and participating throughout.
The ECI argued that SIRs had been conducted earlier as well, including in Bihar in 2002–03. It stated that the current exercise was aimed at addressing repeat entries and enhancing public confidence in the accuracy of the electoral roll. It added,
“Moreover, the SIR exercise is inclusionary and every attempt has been made by the ECI and its officials to ensure that no eligible elector is excluded from the electoral roll. Further, there are multiple layers of checks at all stages of the process, and no name of any elector will be deleted from the electoral roll without due process and compliance with principles of natural justice.”
The Commission assured that no eligible voter’s name would be excluded arbitrarily, adding that the process included multiple safeguards and adhered to principles of natural justice. It said,
“The allegation of exclusion of eligible voters is incorrect and unsustainable. The SIR is an inclusionary exercise, not exclusionary.”
Rejecting the challenge to its order, the ECI maintained that the exercise was lawful, necessary, and within its jurisdiction.
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