Supreme Court Orders ECI to Publish Bihar Voter Deletion List

New Delhi: In a significant move to ensure electoral transparency, the Supreme Court on Thursday, August 14, instructed the Election Commission of India (ECI) to publicly release the names of more than 65 lakh voters whose names were deleted during the recent Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of Bihar’s electoral rolls.

The bench, led by Justices Surya Kant and Joymalya Bagchi, said the complete list must be uploaded on the ECI’s official website and widely publicised through newspapers, television, and social media. The aim, the court noted, is to give political parties, civil society groups, and affected voters the opportunity to verify and challenge deletions well before voting day.

Raising concerns about the fairness of such large-scale removals in a poll-bound state, the court directed that the public notices should explicitly inform voters of the process to file claims for inclusion. Aadhaar cards and other valid identification documents may be used to support such claims.

The ECI has been ordered to complete these steps by Tuesday, August 19. The case, which stems from petitions alleging arbitrary deletions, will be taken up again for hearing on Friday, August 22.