Supreme Court to resume hearing as petitioners say rushed three-month exercise risks excluding voters and past records show 2003 revision was longer and more inclusive.
As the Supreme Court resumes hearing on the Bihar Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls on August 22, sharp questions are surfacing over the Election Commission’s own defence of the exercise.
In its affidavits, the ECI has cited the 2002–03 intensive revision as precedent, arguing that the current three-month timeline is adequate and insisting that voter ID cards cannot be treated as proof of eligibility. Yet, records from that earlier overhaul — corroborated by former Commission officials and Chief Electoral Officers — tell a different story.
Back then, the intensive revision spanned eight months across seven states, more than double the time allotted now. Crucially, no proof of citizenship was required from existing electors, and the Elector’s Photo Identity Card (EPIC) served as the backbone of verification. The contrast raises doubts over the ECI’s claims that the present Bihar exercise mirrors the inclusiveness and robustness of 2003.
Petitioners before the court argue that compressing the process into just 97 days — with final rolls due October 1, barely weeks before Bihar polls — risks disenfranchising voters, particularly those struggling to secure documents. They contend that the Commission is straying into questions of nationality beyond its constitutional mandate.
Three points stand out:
An email seeking the Commission’s response went unanswered.
With the Court set to weigh these discrepancies, the outcome could shape not just Bihar’s upcoming polls but also the framework for voter roll revisions across India.
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