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Bihar Voter List Battle: Supreme Court Sets November 4 Hearing Date

The Supreme Court has scheduled a November 4 hearing for petitions challenging Bihar's voter list revision. The court emphasized that the Election Commission understands its duty to disclose voter data after the revision process. Legal authorities in Bihar have been directed to provide assistance to voters excluded from the final electoral rolls. The hearing also addressed concerns about allegedly false affidavits submitted regarding voter exclusions.

Key Points: Supreme Court to Hear Bihar SIR Voter List Case Nov 4

  • Supreme Court directs Bihar legal authorities to assist excluded voters with appeals
  • Court expresses displeasure over allegedly false affidavits submitted by petitioners
  • Election Commission disputes claims about voter deletions from final electoral lists
  • Legal aid counsels and paralegal volunteers to help file exclusion appeals
2 min read

Supreme Court to hear Bihar SIR voter list case on November 4

Supreme Court schedules November 4 hearing on petitions challenging Bihar's Special Intensive Revision of electoral rolls amid voter exclusion concerns and legal aid directives.

"The poll panel is aware of its responsibility to disclose the voter data - Supreme Court"

New Delhi, October 16

The Supreme Court on Thursday posted for hearing on November 4 a batch of petitions challenging the Election Commission of India's move to conduct Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls in Bihar.

As the petitioner tells the court that the ECI should separately publish the list of deleted and added voters, the Supreme Court observes that the poll panel is aware of its responsibility to disclose the voter data on completion of the recently-concluded SIR.

Earlier, the Supreme Court asked the Bihar State Legal Service Authority (BSLSA) to issue directions to its district-level body for assisting voters excluded from the final electoral rolls after the Bihar Special Intensive Revision (SIR) exercise in filing appeals with the Election Commission of India (ECI).

To ensure free legal aid to the persons excluded from the final voters' list to file appeals against their exclusion, a bench of Justices Surya Kant and Joymalya Bagchi, BSLSA, is to issue necessary communication to the District Legal Services Authorities to ensure the availability of paralegal volunteers and legal aid counsels who can assist the excluded persons in filing appeals.

The bench passed the order after noting that there were discrepancies in the affidavits submitted before the top court by certain individuals who claimed that they had been incorrectly excluded.

Senior advocate Rakesh Dwivedi, appearing for ECI, disputed the veracity of the contents of the affidavit submitted by one particular individual.

Dwivedi raised an instance raised by the petitioner Association for Democratic Reforms (ADR) regarding a person whose name was included in the draft list getting deleted from the final list.

He refuted the claim, saying the person was not there in the draft list as he did not submit the enumeration form, and added that a false affidavit had been filed, which amounts to perjury.

He said excluded people can file appeals, as there is still a window of five days available for them.

The bench expressed displeasure and told advocate Prashant Bhushan, appearing for ADR, that when a document was handed to the court, there should have been more responsibility.

The apex court also heard the arguments of political activist Yogendra Yadav.

- ANI

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Reader Comments

P
Priya S
Good move by SC to ensure legal aid for excluded voters. Many genuine voters, especially from rural areas, don't know how to file appeals. This will protect democratic rights.
A
Aditya G
The ECI should be more transparent about why names are being deleted. Publishing separate lists of added and deleted voters is basic accountability. Why resist this?
S
Sarah B
Filing false affidavits is serious! The court is right to be displeased. Both sides need to be responsible with the information they present. Democracy deserves better.
V
Vikram M
Only 5 days for appeals? That's too short for people who might not even know they've been excluded! The process needs to be more voter-friendly.
N
Nisha Z
This SIR exercise was necessary to clean up voter lists, but the implementation seems messy. Hope the November 4 hearing brings clarity. Every legitimate vote matters! 🇮🇳

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