Bihar Special Revision of Electoral Rolls (SIR) case reached the Supreme Court, where the Election Commission clarified that “claims and objections will be accepted even after the September 30 deadline,” ensuring voters get sufficient opportunity to participate.
Claims and objections regarding the revision of voter rolls in Bihar will be accepted beyond the September 30 deadline, as stated by the Election Commission during a Supreme Court hearing on Monday.
The court was addressing petitions from state political leaders requesting an extension of the September 1 deadline for submitting claims and objections to the draft list published by the Election Commission.
The Supreme Court noted that the Election Commission has confirmed that claims and objections can indeed be filed after September 30, and that the revision process will continue until the final date for filing nominations.
While considering applications from political parties seeking an additional two weeks, the Supreme Court remarked,
“As regards extension of time, note says that filing of claims/objections or corrections is not barred after 1 September. It is stated that the claims/objections/corrections can be submitted even after the deadline and same will be considered after roll has been finalised. Process will continue until last date of nominations and all inclusions/exclusions are integrated in the final roll. In light of this stand, let the claims/objections/corrections be continued to be filed. Meanwhile, political parties/petitioners may submit their affidavits in response to the note.”
During the proceedings, RJD counsel Prashant Bhushan argued that the court’s previous order allowed Aadhaar as a valid document, but the Election Commission failed to specify the documents required for the re-enumeration forms.
He expressed concerns that many forms might have been completed by Booth Level Officers (BLOs) and highlighted that while some voters were receiving notices about incomplete documentation, the Commission lacked transparency.
The Supreme Court clarified that individuals not included in the draft voter list could submit claims using Aadhaar or other documents. The bench emphasized that the significance of Aadhaar would be confined to current legal provisions and that the court could not elevate its importance beyond existing regulations.
Rakesh Dwivedi, representing the Election Commission, informed media that the final list would be released on October 1, and anyone not included could still file claims or objections.
He stated,
“People will be verified and included if they file claim before the last date of nomination of candidates. The schedule for SIR will be followed but the process of claims and objections is separate,” .
He further mentioned that the exercise had covered 7.24 crore people, with 99.5 percent of voters already submitting their documents. Dwivedi noted that rather than adding names, most political parties and voters were seeking to remove them, which he described as unusual.
The Commission also reported that lists of deleted names had been posted on the websites of District Election Officers and the Chief Electoral Officer of Bihar, as well as advertised in newspapers. It asserted that it had fully complied with the Supreme Court’s earlier order, allowing ample time for claims and objections to be filed at any stage.
The court additionally instructed the Executive Chairman of the Bihar State Legal Services Authority to ensure by noon tomorrow that all District Legal Services Authorities appoint para-legal volunteers, providing their names and contact details, to assist voters and political parties in submitting claims, objections, or corrections online.
Each para-legal volunteer is to submit a confidential report to the relevant District Judge, and the information gathered will be compiled at the State Legal Services Authority level, as directed by the court.
In a previous hearing, the Court was informed that 65 lakh names had been removed from the draft electoral roll published on August 1. The ECI assured that no names would be deleted without prior notice and an opportunity for a hearing. On August 14, the Court directed the Commission to upload the list of the 65 lakh voters slated for deletion during the SIR process.
By August 22, the Court was informed that this direction had been followed, and those whose names were deleted could submit Aadhaar as proof of identity when contesting such deletions.
Senior Advocate Gopal Sankaranarayanan and Advocate Prashant Bhushan appeared on behalf of ADR, Senior Advocate Rakesh Dwivedi represented the Election Commission of India, Senior Advocate Kapil Sibal appeared for RJD MP Manoj Kumar Jha, while Advocate Nizam Pasha represented Bihar MLA Akhtarul Iman.
Earlier, On August 6, the Court learned that 6.5 million names were removed from the draft electoral roll published on August 1. The ECI assured the Court that no names would be removed without prior notice, an opportunity for a hearing, and a reasoned order from the appropriate authority.
The Election Commission of India (ECI), On 24 June 2025, started a Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of the electoral rolls in Bihar before the Assembly elections. Under this process, voters were asked to provide updated documents, but many citizens did not have them.
Opposition parties and several NGOs criticised this move, saying it could deprive a large number of genuine voters of their right to vote. They approached the Supreme Court (SC), calling the ECI’s action arbitrary and against the Constitution.
The Commission, On 1 August 2025, released the draft electoral roll, which showed a total of 7.24 crore registered voters. At the same time, around 65 lakh names were removed from the list.
Petitioners, including the Association for Democratic Reforms (ADR), requested the Supreme Court to order the ECI to make public the full list of voters whose names were dropped, along with the reasons for each deletion. They said that without such transparency, many citizens might lose their right to vote without being given a fair chance to object.
Case Title: ASSOCIATION FOR DEMOCRATIC REFORMS AND ORS. Versus ELECTION COMMISSION OF INDIA, W.P.(C) No. 640/2025 (and connected cases)
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