Mon Sep 08 04:39:12 UTC 2025: **News Article:**
**Supreme Court to Hear Challenges to Bihar Electoral Roll Revision as Concerns Mount**
**New Delhi – September 8, 2025** – The Supreme Court is set to resume hearings today on a batch of petitions challenging the Election Commission of India’s (ECI) decision to conduct a Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls in Bihar ahead of upcoming state elections. Political parties, including the Rashtriya Janta Dal (RJD) and AIMIM, have raised concerns about the process, alleging potential voter disenfranchisement.
The ECI has stated that 99.5% of the 7.24 crore electors in the draft electoral roll have submitted eligibility documents during the SIR. However, opposition parties claim that deletions from voter lists defy demographic patterns and raise concerns about potential manipulation. The RJD estimates that even a 1% deletion rate could impact the results in approximately 35 seats in the 243-seat State Assembly.
The Supreme Court has previously directed the Bihar Legal Services Authority to assist voters in filing claims and objections. The ECI has clarified that applications for inclusion and exclusion will be accepted until the last date of nominations, though these may not be included in the final list due September 30th.
Amid the legal challenges, the ECI is scheduled to hold a conference with Chief Electoral Officers from all states and union territories on September 10th to assess preparedness for a potential nationwide SIR.
The case has sparked a broader debate about voter identification requirements and potential voter exclusion. A recent Lokniti-CSDS survey suggests that current document requirements may be too burdensome for many voters. This comes as the Election Commission continues to insist that its demand for documents is reasonable, and that most voters do have at least one of these documents.
The outcome of the Supreme Court hearing could have significant implications for the integrity of the electoral process in Bihar and beyond.
First Piper 