Supreme Court Seeks Detailed Report from EC on Removal of 65 Lakh Voters from Bihar Draft List

National News: In a significant development, the Supreme Court on Wednesday directed the Election Commission of India (ECI) to submit complete details regarding the removal of approximately 65 lakh voters from the recently published draft electoral roll in Bihar. The apex court has asked the ECI to furnish this data by August 9, clarifying that it should be the same information already shared with political parties. Additionally, the court has instructed that a copy be provided to the non-governmental organization, Association for Democratic Reforms (ADR).

Petition Questions Mass Deletion of Voter Names

This directive follows a petition challenging the ECI’s June 24 order, under which the names of lakhs of voters were removed during the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) in Bihar. The petitioner, an NGO, argued that the Commission must clarify the grounds for deletion—such as death, permanent relocation, or any other legitimate reason.

"Draft List, Not Final," Says Bench

The bench, comprising Justices Suryakant, Ujjal Bhuyan, and N. Kotishwar Singh, clarified to advocate Prashant Bhushan—representing the NGO—that the current list is merely a draft, not a final decision. Final reasons for deletion will be known later. However, Bhushan pointed out that political parties have already received a list of deleted names, yet no details have been provided about whether those individuals are deceased or have migrated.

The bench instructed the ECI’s counsel to submit a comprehensive response by Saturday. It also allowed Bhushan to analyze the data, following which the court will determine what part of the information may be publicly disclosed.

Allegations of Procedural Irregularities

Advocate Bhushan further alleged that significant irregularities occurred during the inclusion process in the draft list. He claimed that about 75% of voters had not submitted the mandatory documents, and their inclusion was based solely on the recommendations of Booth Level Officers (BLOs). The bench has scheduled a hearing on August 12, during which it will also evaluate the validity of the ECI’s June 24 order.

Supreme Court to Examine Issue Closely

On July 29, the Supreme Court had noted that any large-scale deletion of names from the voter list in Bihar would warrant immediate judicial intervention. The court had also directed the Election Commission to accept documents like Aadhaar and Voter ID as valid identification for verification. However, the court declined to stay the draft list released on August 1. The draft currently includes names of 7.24 crore voters, while 65 lakh names have been removed. Of these, 22.34 lakh were marked deceased, 36.28 lakh were permanently relocated, and 7.01 lakh were found to be registered in multiple locations.

The ECI has stated that the draft list is available online, and physical copies have been distributed to political parties across districts. Objections to the list can be submitted until September 1. The final voter roll is scheduled to be published on September 30.