New Delhi: The Supreme Court will hear a group of petitions on July 10 challenging the Election Commission’s decision to carry out a special revision of the electoral rolls in Bihar. The move comes months before the state is expected to go to the polls.
The case was taken up by a vacation bench of Justices Sudhanshu Dhulia and Joymalya Bagchi after senior lawyers, including Kapil Sibal and Abhishek Singhvi, urged for an urgent hearing. Sibal, appearing for RJD MP Manoj Jha, said the task was impossible to complete in the given time and asked the court to issue notices to the Election Commission.
Petition alleges exclusion of vulnerable communities
Singhvi pointed out that out of roughly eight crore voters in Bihar, about half would be required to submit documents under the current plan. Another senior lawyer, Gopal Sankaranarayanan, added that voters were being asked for papers beyond Aadhaar and voter ID, which is causing further confusion.
Jha’s petition says the Election Commission’s order, issued on June 24, is unconstitutional and aimed at removing voters from poor, minority and migrant communities. He said the deadline of 30 days is too short, especially during the monsoon season when many people are displaced due to floods.
Opposition unites, demands rollback
The Congress party also spoke out on the matter. Pawan Khera, head of its media team, said that nine opposition parties, including the Congress and Trinamool Congress, have joined hands to challenge what they call a “flawed and destructive” exercise. Other groups like the Association for Democratic Reforms and PUCL have also moved the court. The petitioners are asking the court to stop the Election Commission from carrying out similar revisions in other states.
The last such revision in Bihar was done in 2003.
