GG News Bureau
New Delhi, 10th July: In a key development in the case challenging the Election Commission’s ‘special intensive revision’ of Bihar’s voter list, the Supreme Court on Thursday suggested the inclusion of Aadhaar, ration cards, and the EC’s own voter ID card as valid documents for re-verification, drawing praise from petitioners who have opposed the ongoing exercise.
Political analyst Yogendra Yadav, one of the petitioners, called the development the “first big victory” in the fight to safeguard voting rights in Bihar. “Now the entire process will be monitored by the Supreme Court… the court will keep an eye on the revision of electoral rolls,” Yadav said, expressing satisfaction that the court had acknowledged concerns about the exclusion of valid ID documents and voter suppression.
The apex court stopped short of ordering a stay on the revision, but raised serious concerns about the timing, given the impending Bihar Assembly elections scheduled for October–November. “Your exercise is not the problem… it is the timing. With such a large population, can this process be completed without disenfranchising genuine voters?” the bench questioned.
The court also asked the Election Commission to justify the legal basis for the revision, which was initiated just months after the rolls were last updated in January. Petitioners have argued that the move is an attempt to suppress the voting rights of poor and marginalised citizens.
Yadav told the court that “millions of voters who have cast their votes in multiple elections could be dropped from the list simply due to document issues.” He welcomed the court’s direction that any voter removed from the list must be given a proper opportunity to appeal, ensuring that the revision does not become an instrument of voter exclusion.
The opposition alliance in Bihar, including the Congress and Rashtriya Janata Dal, has accused the Election Commission of acting under pressure from the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party. They allege that the exercise disproportionately affects the poor, Dalits, and minorities who may lack the required documents despite being longstanding voters.
In response, the EC maintained that Aadhaar is used for identity verification, not to establish citizenship, and assured that no genuine voter would be removed from the list. Sources in the Commission later stated that the poll body is legally empowered to carry out the special revision and that Aadhaar is already accepted as a valid ID in the process.
The court has asked the Election Commission to submit its detailed response before the next hearing on July 28, keeping the matter under close scrutiny as concerns grow over voter rights ahead of the crucial state polls.
