The Supreme Court stated on Monday that it would annul the entire Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls in Bihar if it discovers any illegality in the methods used by the Election Commission of India (ECI). During the hearings regarding the survey, Justices Surya Kant and Joymalya Bagchi indicated that they were assuming the election authority, as a constitutional body, was adhering to the law and required procedures in executing the SIR. The court also declined to provide partial opinions on the matter, emphasizing that its ultimate decision would have nationwide consequences for the SIR process. The Supreme Court has scheduled October 7 for the final arguments regarding the legitimacy of the SIR in Bihar.
On September 8, the court had mandated that Aadhaar be recognized as the twelfth valid document for inclusion in Bihar’s electoral rolls during the ongoing SIR, in response to complaints about election officials rejecting it despite prior directions. The court dismissed the ECI’s objections, clarifying that while Aadhaar does not establish citizenship, it is a valid identification and residency proof. The SIR initiative has faced criticism from opposition parties, who claim that many legitimate voters are being removed from the rolls without adequate verification. They argue that excluding Aadhaar from the ECI’s list of approved documents unfairly disadvantages voters since it is more commonly held than other forms of identification.
On August 18, the Election Commission released a draft list indicating that 6.5 million names had been removed as part of the SIR process. The commission has criticized the opposition for its allegations of “vote chori” (vote theft) and accused political parties of misleading voters while attempting to shift responsibility to the election authority.