Tejashwi Yadav’s RJD has moved the Supreme Court challenging the Election Commission’s Special Intensive Revision of Bihar’s voter list. Kapil Sibal, representing RJD, has urged for an urgent hearing ahead of the upcoming elections.
Tejashwi Yadav’s Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) approached the Supreme Court to contest the Election Commission’s order regarding the revision of electoral rolls in Bihar, where elections are expected later this year.
Senior advocate Kapil Sibal will represent the RJD and has requested an expedited hearing on Monday.
The Election Commission, On June 24, announced the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) in Bihar to ensure that only eligible citizens are allowed to vote.
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This decision was prompted by factors such as rapid urbanization, frequent migration, young citizens reaching voting age, unreported deaths, and the inclusion of names of illegal immigrants. The Commission emphasized its commitment to adhering to constitutional and legal standards during the revision process.
The petition, filed by Rajya Sabha MP Manoj Jha, adds to a growing number of political voices opposing the Election Commission’s decision, which involves preparing a draft list of existing voters based on received enumeration forms.
Trinamool Congress MP Mahua Moitra claimed that the SIR order aimed to disenfranchise genuine young voters in the upcoming elections, predicting that the Commission’s next target would be West Bengal.
She argued that this order would prevent countless voters born between July 1, 1987, and December 2, 2004, from participating, ultimately benefiting the BJP at the national level.
Earlier, her party leader and West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee described the EC’s order as a “diabolical game plan.”
Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge asserted that voters in Bihar would respond to the BJP’s “attack on democracy and the Constitution,” claiming that nearly eight crore people would be adversely affected by this exercise.
The INDI alliance has also decided to highlight this issue in the state on July 9, coinciding with a nationwide strike initiated by Left-leaning trade unions.
Mr. Jha’s party colleague, Tejashwi Jha, previously questioned why this exercise was being conducted solely in Bihar, unlike the nationwide revision that took place in 2003.
Several civil society organizations, including PUCL and the Association of Democratic Reforms, along with activists like Yogendra Yadav, have also approached the Supreme Court against the directive to conduct the SIR.
In defense of the exercise, the BJP-led NDA accused the opposition of fabricating excuses in light of an impending electoral defeat.
The Election Commission stated on Sunday that the first phase of the exercise had been carried out smoothly in Bihar, dismissing allegations of manipulation favoring the ruling party.
The Commission affirmed,
“It is reiterated that SIR is being conducted as per the SIR instructions dated June 24, 2025, and there is no change in the instructions,”
It also detailed the process, which includes house-to-house visits, capturing live photographs, and assisting voters with form submissions.
Electors have until July 25 to submit their documents, and the draft electoral rolls are set to be published on August 1.
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