ECI to SC: Prior Notice Mandatory for Bihar Voter List Deletions
(Syed Ali Taher Abedi)
Delhi 10, August,2025-The Election Commission of India (ECI) has assured the Supreme Court that no voter’s name will be removed from the draft electoral roll in Bihar without prior notice, an opportunity to be heard, and a formal order from a competent authority.
“That in this regard, it is noteworthy that exclusion of a name from the draft electoral roll does not amount to deletion of an individual from the electoral rolls. The draft roll simply shows that the duly filled enumeration form of existing electors has been received during the Enumeration Phase. But, on account of human involvement in execution of this exercise of scale, there is always a possibility that an exclusion or inclusion might surface due to inadvertence or error.”
This assurance was made through an additional affidavit submitted by Deputy Election Commissioner Sanjay Kumar, in response to a petition filed by the Association for Democratic Reforms (ADR)—a prominent NGO advocating electoral transparency. The petition raised concerns about the ongoing Special Summary Revision (SSR) of the electoral rolls ahead of the upcoming Bihar Assembly elections.
safeguards against arbitrary deletion the affidavit emphasized that
The deletion process is governed by strict procedural safeguards.
A two-tier appeal mechanism is in place to ensure that every elector has adequate recourse against any adverse action.
No name will be struck off without prior notice and a speaking order (a reasoned decision) from the authorities.
house-to-house verification completed. The first phase of the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) in Bihar has been completed. As part of this exercise. Booth Level Officers (BLOs) conducted house-to-house visits to collect enumeration forms from existing electors.
The draft electoral roll was published on August 1. Out of 7.89 crore registered electors, over 7.24 crore submitted their enumeration forms, reflecting significant public participation.
The process involved state election machinery, volunteers, and party agents.
outreach and support measures. To ensure transparency and inclusivity:
Advertisements were published in 246 Hindi newspapers across the country, targeting migrant workers to inform them about the revision.
The ECI deployed approximately 2.56 lakh volunteers, most of whom are government officers from Bihar, to assist voters in completing documentation and resolving queries.
The Commission has been issuing daily press releases and bulletins to keep the public informed about claims and objections, which will be addressed after the notice period.
“It is for this reason that the law provides a remedy 6 preparation, the names of any electors have been left out of the draft roll, the ERO has the power to take remedial action. It is for this reason that issuance of reasons for exclusion of names from the draft rolls is not contemplated in the statutory framework governing the preparation of electoral rolls.”
legal challenge and supreme court’s response. The Special Intensive Revision, announced on June 24, is the first such exercise in Bihar since 2003. It has faced legal challenges from ADR, People’s Union for Civil Liberties (PUCL), and other civil society groups, who allege violations of constitutional provisions and election laws.
On July 10, the Supreme Court declined to stay the revision process but directed the ECI to accept Aadhaar, PAN, and ration cards as valid documents for voter verification.
The ECI Affidavit is drawn by Advocates Eklavya Dwivedi and Kumar Utsav
The matter is scheduled for further hearing on August 12 and 13.
