Supreme Court allows Election Commission to proceed with Special Intensive Revision in Bihar. Singhvi calls it a “significant advance” as SC suggests inclusion of Aadhaar, voter ID, and ration card.
New Delhi: The Supreme Court of India has permitted the Election Commission of India (ECI) to proceed with the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls in the state of Bihar, which is scheduled for assembly elections.
The court, however, made it clear that the ECI should consider allowing the use of three key documents — Aadhaar card, voter ID card issued by the EC, and ration card — for the process of voter verification and enumeration.
A bench consisting of Justices Sudhanshu Dhulia and Joymalya Bagchi observed that the inclusion of these documents would be in the interest of justice.
The court noted,
“We are of the prima facie opinion that in the interest of justice, the Election Commission will also include documents like Aadhaar, Ration Card, Voter ID card, etc.. It is for the ECI to decide whether it wants to accept the documents or not, and if it does not, then provide reasons for its decision, which shall be sufficient to satisfy the petitioners. Meanwhile, petitioners are not pressing for an interim stay.”
This came in response to petitions filed by several prominent individuals and organisations, including RJD MP Manoj Jha, the Association for Democratic Reforms (ADR), People’s Union for Civil Liberties (PUCL), activist Yogendra Yadav, Trinamool Congress MP Mahua Moitra, and former Bihar MLA Mujahid Alam.
The petitioners challenged the ECI’s earlier decision to allegedly exclude certain documents during the voter list revision process across Bihar.
Senior Advocate Abhishek Manu Singhvi, representing eight political parties and Mahua Moitra in the case, called the court’s directions a significant step forward. Addressing the media, he said,
“Since I am the lead counsel in the Supreme Court for eight political parties and also for Ms Mahua Moitra, I will not speak elaborately on the merits of the matter. After extensive arguments, the honourable Supreme Court has clearly suggested that there are three documents namely Aadhar, EC voter ID and ration card they also considered by the EC in the process of enumeration. The two, they were alleged us to be excluded all over Bihar. This is a significant advance. All other merits remain open and time for reply by the end of July has been given.”
He further mentioned that the Supreme Court has allowed the petitioners time to respond to the matter until the end of July, making it clear that none of the legal arguments have been closed and all merits are still open for further discussion.
This development is being seen as a partial relief for the petitioners, as the court did not impose a stay on the ongoing SIR process but acknowledged concerns regarding exclusion and documentation.
The decision also puts the responsibility on the Election Commission to either include the three suggested documents or offer a reasonable explanation for their exclusion.
The case has attracted widespread attention because the accuracy and fairness of electoral rolls are crucial for ensuring a free and fair election in Bihar.
With this order, the Supreme Court has taken a balanced approach by not stopping the revision process, while also stressing the need for transparency and inclusivity.
The remarks and suggestions made by the bench now set the tone for how voter identification documents may be treated in the ongoing and future revisions of electoral rolls, not just in Bihar, but possibly in other states as well.
Click Here to Read More Reports On Bihar Voter Roll Revision
