The Supreme Court on Tuesday underscored that every individual has the right to appeal against their exclusion from the voters’ list prepared during the recently concluded Special Intensive Revision (SIR) in Bihar.
A Bench comprising Justices Surya Kant and Joymlaya Bagchi observed that the Court cannot intervene effectively unless specific details are provided about those whose names were deleted without formal communication of the deletion order. The Bench remarked that if the petitioners could provide a list of the 3.66 lakh voters who were not informed, the Court would direct the Election Commission of India (ECI) to issue communications to them.
The Court also raised concerns over inconsistencies between the draft and final electoral rolls. It noted that while around 65 lakh names were deleted from the draft list and 21 lakh were later added, it remained unclear whether the additions represented reinstated voters or entirely new entries. The Bench asked the ECI to place relevant data before the Court for clarity.
Advocate Prashant Bhushan, appearing for the petitioners, contended that the ECI could easily match deletions and additions using its records, unlike affected individuals who would struggle to challenge their exclusion individually. Senior Advocate Abhishek Manu Singhvi added that many voters were removed without receiving notice or reasons, rendering the appellate process ineffective.