Bihar SIR: ADR moves SC for names, details of 65 lakh voters deleted by EC

The Association for Democratic Reforms (ADR) on Tuesday, 5 August, filed a petition in the Supreme Court asking it to direct the Election Commission to publish names and details of around 65 lakh electors left out of the draft electoral rolls in Bihar.

A bunch of petitions have already been filed in the SC challenging the EC’s June 24 order to conduct a Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls across the country, starting with Bihar. The court is scheduled to hear them on August 12.

In its application, the ADR has asked the court to direct the EC to publish the Assembly constituency and part or booth-wise list of names and details, including reasons (deceased, permanently shifted, duplicate or untraceable), of the around 65 lakh electors removed from the draft roll published on August 1.

The petitioner, represented by senior advocate Prashant Bhushan, also says that while the EC had provided  Booth Level Agents (BLAs) of political parties with a list of electors whose names had been deleted, the reasons for their removal were not mentioned in that list.

Meanwhile, the Congress on Wednesday, 6 August, said the Opposition's demand for a discussion on the "votebandi" by EC is "non-negotiable" in both Houses of Parliament.

Congress general secretary in-charge, communications, Jairam Ramesh, said the chair in the Rajya Sabha is a continuing entity despite the comings and goings, scheduled and unscheduled.

"Yesterday, the Deputy Chairman gave a ruling that because the Lok Sabha Speaker had said so on December 14, 1988, any matter concerning the Election Commission cannot be discussed in Parliament. But on July 21, 2023, the Chairman of the Rajya Sabha, a Modi appointee, had categorically ruled that 'the Rajya Sabha is entitled to discuss anything under the planet with only one restriction'," Ramesh said in a post on X.

The Opposition parties have been protesting in both Houses of Parliament against the Special Intensive Revision, alleging the EC's exercise was aimed at "disenfranchising voters" in Bihar ahead of the Assembly elections. They have been demanding a discussion on the issue in both Houses.