SC Questions ECI on 65 Lakh Voter Deletions in Bihar Draft Roll

Swift Summary

• The supreme Court of India has requested the Election Commission of India (ECI) to respond by Saturday to an application filed by the Association for Democratic Reforms (ADR).
• ADR raised concerns regarding 65 lakh voter deletions from BiharS draft electoral roll as part of a Special Intensive Revision (SIR).
• Advocate Prashant Bhushan argued that while ECI published the deletions, details like reasons for deletion, migration data, adn lists were not provided adequately.
• ECI claims it shared this information with representatives from political parties-especially the Booth Level Agents (BLAs)-before publication.
• Justice Surya Kant directed ECI to submit records showing which political parties were provided this list before publication and clarify how affected voters could access necessary information.
• Per an earlier press release on July 25, ECI stated that 22 lakh deceased persons were removed, 7 lakh entries involved duplicate registrations in multiple locations, and about 35 lakh voters had migrated or were untraceable. Additionally, enumeration forms for approximately 1.2 lakh voters are pending.
• The case is scheduled for further hearing on August 12.

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Indian Opinion Analysis

The deletion of approximately 65 lakh names from Bihar’s electoral roll raises significant concerns about clarity in election management processes. While steps such as identifying deceased individuals or verifying duplicate registrations are integral to ensuring a clean voter registry, ADR’s application highlights gaps in interaction about these revisions-particularly with regard to providing thorough reasoning behind the deletions.

This case brings forth critical questions regarding institutional accountability: whether all stakeholders-including affected citizens-are being sufficiently informed during such revisions. Furthermore, it underscores technical challenges in auditing voter rolls across highly populous regions like Bihar. The Supreme Court’s involvement indicates recognition at a national level that ensuring clarity and fairness in election practices is paramount.

Going forward,resolving such issues amicably can strengthen India’s democratic foundations by enhancing trust between institutions and citizens during pivotal processes like elections-even amidst complex logistical tasks like large-scale revisions of voter lists.