ADR Moves Supreme Court Against Bihar Voter List Revision, Alleges Risk of Mass Disenfranchisement

New Delhi: The Association for Democratic Reforms (ADR) has approached the Supreme Court challenging the ongoing Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of the electoral rolls in Bihar, alleging that the process being conducted by the Election Commission of India (ECI) is arbitrary and risks disenfranchising lakhs of eligible voters ahead of upcoming elections.

In a writ petition filed before the apex court, the ADR argued that the ECI’s current method of revising the electoral list lacks transparency, fairness, and adequate safeguards for voters, particularly those from marginalized and migrant communities. The petitioner has called for an immediate halt to the process until proper verification mechanisms are put in place.

The ECI had launched the SIR in Bihar as part of a state-wide voter roll update, citing the need to clean up outdated entries and ensure accurate records. However, according to ADR, the Booth Level Officers (BLOs) deployed for door-to-door verification have reportedly faced logistical hurdles and inaccessibility in large pockets of the population, especially where residents have migrated or dwellings remain locked.