Supreme Court Engages Political Parties to Address Bihar Voter Exclusion Issue

Speedy Summary:

• The Supreme Court has directed political parties contesting Bihar’s 2025 Assembly elections to help the Election Commission (ECI) assist voters excluded in the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) exercise.
• 65 lakh voter names were omitted from the draft electoral roll; deadline for claims and objections is September 1, though an extension may be considered.
• excluded voters can file claims online or submit proof such as Aadhaar card or other approved documents.
• Breakdown of exclusions: 22 lakh deceased, 36 lakh migrated out of Bihar, and eight lakh duplicate entries identified by ECI.
• Opposition parties urged a deadline extension and questioned SIR’s legality while advocating for a voter-pleasant process.
• Political parties were criticized for lack of action to assist rural voters in verifying exclusions,with EC expressing disappointment over their conduct.

indian Opinion Analysis:
The ongoing issue surrounding Bihar’s voter omissions highlights systemic challenges in ensuring electoral inclusivity amidst large-scale revisions like the SIR exercise. While the Supreme Court underscores the urgency of addressing omissions before upcoming elections and facilitating online claims submission to streamline processes,concerns about logistical hurdles remain unresolved-especially given ECI’s reliance on political party agents for assistance among marginalized rural populations. The substantial number of excluded names attributed to migration also reflects deeper demographic shifts that could impact local depiction dynamics.

While opposition voices question both procedure legality and grassroots efficacy of BLAs (booth-level agents),institutional collaboration between political parties and ECI emerges as critical to resolving these last-minute discrepancies efficiently without compromising fairness or clarity in enumerating eligible voters ahead of polls.

Read more: The Hindu