Bihar SIR: Supreme Court Directs Election Commission to Provide Details of 3.66 Lakh Voters Removed from Final List
The Supreme Court on Tuesday directed the Election Commission (EC) to furnish details of 3.66 lakh voters who were removed from Bihar’s final voter list after the Special Intensive Revision (SIR). The EC informed the apex court that most of the added names were new voters and that none of those whose names were deleted had filed complaints or appeals so far.
A bench comprising Justices Surya Kant and Joymalya Bagchi instructed the EC to submit the required information by Thursday, October 9, ahead of the next hearing. The apex court noted that both the draft list and the final list, published on September 30, were publicly accessible, allowing for comparison to extract necessary information. Justice Bagchi told senior advocate Rakesh Dwivedi, representing the EC, that the court’s directions had strengthened transparency and public access in the electoral process.
Justice Bagchi Emphasizes Need for Clarity on Added Voters
The court stressed that since the total number of voters had increased in the final list, it was crucial to clarify whose names were added—whether they were newly registered voters or reinstated from the deleted list—to prevent confusion. Justice Bagchi remarked, “Transparency and accessibility have certainly improved. It appears that you removed 6.5 million names from the draft list. We had said it was acceptable to remove those who are deceased or have relocated. But if someone’s name is being deleted, follow Rule 21 and the SOP.”
Most of the Added Names Are New Voters, Says EC Counsel
The bench reminded the EC that it should display information about deleted names in its offices. The final increase in voter count had raised questions about whether the newly added names belonged to old voters or new registrants. Senior advocate Dwivedi clarified that most additions were new voters, while some old voters had been re-included after review. He also reiterated that no deleted voters had filed any complaints or appeals.
Final Voter List Released on September 30
On September 30, the Election Commission released Bihar’s final voter list, showing a reduction of approximately 4.7 million voters—from 7.89 million to 7.42 million—following the SIR process. However, compared to the draft list released on August 1, the final figure reflected an increase of 1.787 million voters. The draft list had earlier removed 6.5 million names due to death, migration, or duplication.
Bihar Assembly Elections to Be Held in Two Phases
The draft list had included 21.53 lakh new voters and removed 3.66 lakh names, resulting in a net increase of 17.87 lakh voters. The Election Commission announced the Bihar Assembly election schedule on October 6. Polling for 121 out of 243 assembly seats will be held on November 6, while the remaining 122 constituencies will go to polls on November 11. The counting of votes will take place on November 14.
