Bihar Electoral Roll Review: ADR Approaches Supreme Court, Calls Move 'Unconstitutional'

Last Updated:July 06, 2025, 05:37 IST

The Election Commission of India on Saturday said that the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls in Bihar is progressing at a robust pace

ADR cautions that the SIR might disenfranchise millions of voters and disrupt the free and fair elections, a fundamental part of the Constitution. File pic/PTI

The Association for Democratic Reforms (ADR), a key NGO focused on electoral reforms, has filed a petition in the Supreme Court against the Election Commission of India’s directive for a “Special Intensive Revision" (SIR) of electoral rolls in poll-bound Bihar. Filed by Advocate Prashant Bhushan on Friday, ADR labels the ECI’s directive “unconstitutional", cautioning that it might disenfranchise millions of voters and disrupt the free and fair elections, a fundamental part of the Constitution.

The NGO’s petition points out issues such as “lack of due process" and “the unreasonably short timeline" regarding the ECI’s order, dated June 24. ADR argues that this directive unfairly shifts the burden of proving eligibility from the state to individual citizens. The petition emphasises that the SIR demands stringent documentation, often excluding commonly held identification documents like Aadhaar cards or ration cards. This exclusion particularly impacts marginalised communities, including Muslims, Scheduled Castes, Scheduled Tribes, and migrant workers, who often do not possess more formal documents such as birth certificates or parental records.

ADR estimates that over three crore voters, especially from vulnerable sections of society, rural areas, or those who have migrated, could be excluded from the electoral rolls due to these rigorous requirements and the limited time for compliance. The NGO argues that the ECI’s order violates fundamental rights protected under Articles 14 (equality before law), 19 (freedom of speech and expression), 21 (protection of life and personal liberty), 325 (no person to be ineligible for inclusion in, or to claim to be included in a special electoral roll on grounds of religion, race, caste, or sex), and 326 (universal adult franchise) of the Constitution. It also asserts violations of provisions of the Representation of the People Act, 1950, and Rule 21A of the Registration of Electors Rules, 1960.

ADR’s legal challenge follows similar objections raised by a delegation of 11 opposition parties, who met the Election Commission on Wednesday, to protest the same electoral revision, famously calling it “Votebandi". The opposition voiced concerns that this exercise could threaten democracy in Bihar.

ADR’s petition reinforces these apprehensions, seeking to overturn the ECI’s order and calling for an immediate halt to its implementation. ADR stresses that such a drastic measure is unnecessary, especially since a Special Summary Revision was already conducted between October 2024 and January 2025. The Supreme Court is expected to hear the petition soon, with the electoral future of millions hanging in the balance ahead of the critical Bihar assembly elections.

The Election Commission of India (ECI) on Saturday said that the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls in Bihar is progressing at a robust pace, with extensive participation from electoral officials, political party representatives, and thousands of volunteers working at the grassroots level to ensure no eligible voter is left out.

According to an official statement from the Commission, as of 6 pm on Saturday, a total of 1,04,16,545 enumeration forms had been received—13.19 per cent of the total 7,89,69,844 registered electors in Bihar as of June 24, 2025.

The percentage of enumeration forms distributed has reached 93.57 per cent, with 7,38,89,333 forms already handed out.

The ECI highlighted the tireless efforts of 77,895 Booth Level Officers (BLOs) who are going door-to-door, assisting electors in filling and submitting their enumeration forms. In many instances, BLOs are also capturing live photographs of electors using mobile devices, helping them avoid the hassle of visiting photo studios.

To facilitate ease of access, partially filled forms are available for download on the ECI’s voter portal, https://voters.eci.gov.in, and the ECINET app, where electors can also upload the completed forms themselves.

In addition to the existing workforce, 20,603 additional BLOs are being deployed to ensure the timely and smooth completion of the revision process.

The campaign is also being supported by nearly 4 lakh volunteers, including government officials, NCC cadets, and NSS members, who are assisting vulnerable groups such as the elderly, persons with disabilities (PwDs), the ailing, and others with mobility challenges.

The process is being closely monitored and facilitated by 239 Electoral Registration Officers (EROs), 963 Assistant Electoral Registration Officers (AEROs), 38 District Election Officers (DEOs), and the Chief Electoral Officer (CEO) of Bihar.

Political parties are also playing a key role in the process, the ECI said, adding a total of 1,54,977 Booth Level Agents (BLAs) appointed by various parties are actively supporting the SIR exercise by coordinating with BLOs and helping electors.

(With agency inputs)

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News elections Bihar Electoral Roll Review: ADR Approaches Supreme Court, Calls Move 'Unconstitutional'