The Supreme Court has set a timeline to hear pleas challenging the intensive electoral roll revision in poll-bound Bihar. The apex court will conduct final hearing of the matter on August 12 and 13, amid the opposition's concerns of mass exclusion from the draft electoral roll at the end of the first phase of Special Intensive Revision (SIR).
Hearing the matter, a bench comprising Justices Surya Kant and Justice Joymalya Bagchi listed the matter for final hearing next month and added the top court would immediately step in if there are issues of mass exclusion in the draft roll. On Monday, the bench observed there should be "en masse inclusion" instead of "en masse exclusion" in the list, and it directed the Election Commission to accept Aadhar and voter IDs as proofs from voters.
"Your apprehension is 65 lakh odd voters will not feature...they (ECI) are seeking correction vis-a-vis 2025 entry. We are overviewing the thing as a judicial authority. If there is mass exclusion, we will immediately step in. You bring 15 people who they claim are dead but are alive, we will deal with it," the bench told Kapil Sibal and Prashant Bhushan, senior lawyers representing petitioners.
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The bench directed the petitioners to file their written applications by August 8 and appointed officers from petitioners' side and the Election Commission side for filing written submissions/compilations.
According to a statement from the poll body, till July 25, 7.24 crore electors have submitted their Enumeration Forms. According to the Commission, 22 lakh voters have died, 36 lakh voters have migrated, and 7 lakh voters have registered in multiple places.
