Bihar's Final Voter List Released Today: Supreme Court to Review Amid Opposition Concerns

Opposition parties have expressed significant concerns over the timing and purpose of the process.

New Delhi:

The Special Intensive Voter Roll Revision in Bihar concludes today with the publication of new electoral lists. The election schedule is anticipated to be announced in the coming week.

Here are 10 essential points about this development:

The SIR (Special Intensive Revision) process has been conducted under intense scrutiny and despite repeated opposition calls to halt it. This revision exercise comes after a 22-year gap, with draft electoral rolls initially published on August 1.

Voters and political parties had until September 1 to submit "claims and objections" regarding the list. The Election Commission has committed to ensuring no eligible citizen is excluded while preventing ineligible individuals from being included.

The matter has escalated to the Supreme Court, where petitioners have challenged the revision process, arguing it could potentially disenfranchise large numbers of voters. The court's next hearing is scheduled for October 7.

Justices Surya Kant and Joymalya Bagchi have indicated their willingness to invalidate the published list if irregularities are found. They have also permitted the use of Aadhaar as an acceptable identity document, despite it not being among the Commission's original 11 approved documents.

The judges emphasized that "en masse inclusion" should be prioritized over "en masse exclusion," overriding the poll body's concerns about potential forgery.

Several opposition parties have criticized the timing, intent, and methodology of the SIR exercise. They have alleged it aims to disenfranchise poor and minority communities who might support opposition candidates.

Congress leader Rahul Gandhi has claimed collusion between the Election Commission and the BJP to secure a substantial mandate for the ruling party, presenting data from various regions. Opposition members suggest the Bihar SIR represents a manifestation of this alleged collusion.

The Election Commission has dismissed these allegations and requested Gandhi to submit a formal affidavit.

Undeterred by the Commission's response, Gandhi along with RJD's Tejashwi Yadav and others have organized a Voter Adhikar Yatra in Bihar to protest what they describe as "vote theft."

The 243-member Bihar Assembly's term expires on November 22. Sources indicate that the election schedule will likely be announced after the Election Commission visits Patna on October 4-5 to evaluate poll preparedness.