Supreme Court Seeks Clarity on Deleted Bihar Voters, Says ‘Can’t Decide in the Dark’
Supreme Court seeks full disclosure from the Election Commission on the deletion of 3.66 lakh voters in Bihar, demanding transparency before the upcoming elections.
Supreme Court demands Election Commission to clarify deletion of 3.66 lakh Bihar voters ahead of the state elections.
The Supreme Court on Tuesday directed the Election Commission (EC) to provide detailed information on the 3.66 lakh voters removed from Bihar’s electoral roll during the recent special intensive revision (SIR). The court emphasized that it “cannot make a decision in the dark” without clarity on the deleted names, especially with the state election less than a month away.
A bench of Justice Surya Kant and Justice Joymalya Bagchi was hearing petitions filed by the Association for Democratic Reforms (ADR), the Congress, and the RJD, which allege that voters were removed without due process or explanation.
Court Seeks Transparency from Election Commission
The top court instructed the EC to submit detailed data and publish the names of deleted voters at district-level electoral offices. “We said, whoever is deleted, please put up their data publicly,” the bench noted. The petitioners in turn were instructed to fill the court with specifics of at least 100 persons removed from the list wrongfully.
Justice Bagchi asked the EC to explain the anomaly between the draft and final list of voters when reports emerged that there had been a staggering rise in numbers.The Commission has 48 hours to present this information.
Petitioners Allege Violation of Rules
Senior advocates Prashant Bhushan and Abhishek Manu Singhvi, representing opposition leaders, argued that the EC violated its own regulations by deleting names without notice or explanation. They pointed out that the EC’s guidelines mandate publishing deletions and reasons on its website — something that has reportedly not been done.
Advocate Nizam Pasha added that many voters were unaware their names had been struck off, leaving them unable to file appeals since official notifications were never received.
EC Defends the Revision
The Election Commission responded that most deletions were of deceased individuals or those who had moved away, and that no official complaints of wrongful exclusion had been filed. It also sought an affidavit from the petitioners to substantiate claims of mass exclusion of women and minority voters.
Court Orders ADR Affidavit and EC Response
Justice Surya Kant emphasized that everyone has the right to appeal, but the court can intervene only if there is proof of wrongful deletion. He also hinted that illegal immigrants might be avoiding the appeal due to their fear of exposure.
The court has asked ADR to file a detailed affidavit and directed the Election Commission to file its response by Thursday, which is also the next date of hearing.
