Publish list of voters deleted in Bihar SIR before Aug 19: SC to EC

SC orders EC to publish names and reasons for deletion of 65 lakh voters in Bihar's SIR by Aug 19, with booth-wise online access and publicity across multiple platforms

The Supreme Court on Thursday directed the Election Commission of India (ECI) to publish on its website before August 19 the names of those who have been excluded from the draft electoral roll after the special intensive revision (SIR) exercise in Bihar.

 

The reasons for the omission of approximately 6.5 million voters must be given, and their names should be searchable online based on EPIC (Electors Photo Identity Card) numbers, the top court said. Soft copies of the deleted voters list must be available on the respective district electoral officer websites, the court added.

 

"The list of 6.5 million voters, whose names appeared in the 2025 list but are not included in the draft list, shall be displayed on the websites of district electoral officers. The information would be booth-wise but it can be accessed by referring to EPIC number. The lists shall be published on the website of the Chief Electoral Officer, Bihar," the court directed.

 

The apex court also told the ECI to accept Aadhaar card as a document for establishing identity.

 

"Your list of 11 documents seems citizen-friendly, but Aadhaar and EPIC are readily available... your notice can say that those who have not submitted so far, can submit their Aadhaar and EPIC also," said Justice Joymalya Bagchi of the top court Bench that is hearing the matter.

 

The Bench of Justice Surya Kant and Justice Bagchi is hearing a clutch of petitions challenging the ECI's June 24 directive, ordering SIR of Bihar electoral roll. The directive requires voters not listed in the 2003 electoral roll to submit documents proving their citizenship. Those born after December 2004 must also furnish citizenship documents of both parents, with additional requirements if a parent is a foreign national.

 

Apart from the directions above, the bench also ordered the ECI to publicise the deleted voters list through newspapers, electronic media, and social media.

 

Printed booth-wise lists of deleted voters along with reasons for their deletion must also be displayed at panchayat and block development offices, the court directed.

 

“For a migrant worker who has been deleted as dead, even if he is illiterate, his neighbours or friends would alert him… it is only fair to have a procedure that does not block a person from exercising his right to adult franchise. There are civil consequences involved here,” Justice Kant told Senior Advocate Rakesh Dwivedi, who is appearing for the ECI.

 

The apex court said that voters have a right to know, and a high degree of transparency is required to inspire their confidence.

 

“People have a right to know. A high degree of transparency is required to inspire voters’ confidence. Put up the names of excluded electors with reasons out there in the public domain for all to see,” Justice Bagchi told the ECI.

 

The top court had earlier said that if there was “mass exclusion” of voters in the SIR exercise in Bihar, it will “step in”.

 

The Association for Democratic Reforms (ADR), People's Union for Civil Liberties (PUCL), activist Yogendra Yadav, Lok Sabha Member of Parliament (MP) from Trinamool Congress Mahua Moitra, Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) MP Manoj Jha, Congress leader K C Venugopal, and former member of Bihar Assembly Mujahid Alam are the petitioners in the case.