New Delhi: In a key development in the Bihar Special Intensive Revision (SIR) case, the Election Commission of India (ECI) told the Supreme Court on Monday that voters would still be able to file claims and objections to the draft electoral rolls even after the September 1 deadline. The Commission assured the Court that all submissions received before the last date of nominations will be duly considered.
A bench comprising Justice Surya Kant and Justice Joymalya Bagchi noted the ECI’s submission, confirming that claims, objections, and corrections could continue until the finalization of the electoral rolls. All inclusions and exclusions will be integrated into the final list before nominations close.
The Court directed the Executive Chairman of the Bihar State Legal Services Authority to ensure that district legal services authorities notify para-legal volunteers, including their names and mobile numbers, to assist both individual voters and political parties in filing claims and objections online. These volunteers are tasked with submitting confidential reports to district judges, which will then be collated at the state level.
During the hearing, Senior Advocate Rakesh Dwivedi, representing the ECI, highlighted that most objections from political parties were aimed at deleting names rather than including them, calling it “very strange.” Dwivedi noted that 99.5% of the 7.24 crore voters had submitted forms. Out of 65 lakh excluded voters, only 33,326 individuals and 25 claims from political parties applied for inclusion, while 1,34,738 objections were filed for exclusion.
Meanwhile, Advocates Prashant Bhushan and Nizam Pasha raised concerns over officials not following ECI manuals and booth-level officers refusing forms, while Senior Advocate Shoeb Alam representing the RJD emphasized that the Aadhaar-based inclusion process had only nine days before the deadline. Dwivedi countered, stating discrepancies would be notified within seven days and that political parties had submitted very few claims.
The Court expressed concern over the lack of transparency, noting that despite prior directions, only 100–120 names were being brought forward. It stressed the need for para-legal volunteers to ensure voters receive adequate assistance and stated that if Aadhaar submissions continued to be rejected beyond the 65 lakh excluded voters, the matter could be revisited in the next hearing scheduled for September 8.
The Supreme Court’s order ensures that claims, objections, and corrections will continue to be accepted beyond September 1, up to the last date of nominations, and directs political parties to file responses to the ECI’s note.
