The Supreme Court of India, on Monday declined to extend the September 1, 2025, deadline for filing claims and objections in the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls in Bihar, as part of the ongoing preparations for the state's upcoming assembly elections. The decision came during a hearing of petitions filed by the Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) and the All India Majlis-e-Ittehadul Muslimeen (AIMIM), which sought a two-to-four-week extension to allow more time for voters to address exclusions from the draft electoral roll. The bench, comprising Justices Surya Kant, Joymalya Bagchi, and Vipul M. Pancholi, emphasised the need to adhere to the electoral schedule to avoid disrupting the election process. However, the Election Commission of India (ECI) informed the court that valid claims and objections submitted beyond September 1 would still be considered until the finalisation of the electoral rolls, with scrutiny continuing up to the last date for filing nominations. This assurance was recorded by the court, ensuring that eligible voters would not be unfairly excluded.
The court also directed political parties to actively cooperate with the ECI by mobilising their booth-level agents (BLAs) to assist voters in filing claims and objections. The bench expressed concern over the limited engagement of political parties, noting that despite the presence of over 1.60 lakh BLAs in Bihar, only a small number of objections had been filed prior to the hearing. The court reiterated its earlier orders from August 22, which allowed voters to submit claims online or in person, using Aadhaar or any of the 11 documents specified by the ECI, to simplify the process.
The RJD and AIMIM had argued for an extension citing a surge in claims, with approximately 1.95 lakh applications filed, including 95,000 after the August 22 order permitting Aadhaar as a valid document. They highlighted challenges such as the ongoing flood crisis in Bihar and instances where booth-level officers (BLO) allegedly refused claims supported only by Aadhaar, despite the court’s directive. The petitioners also raised concerns about the exclusion of 65 lakh voters from the draft roll published on August 1, describing it as a potential threat to democratic participation, particularly for marginalised groups like women, migrants, and senior citizens.
The ECI, represented by senior advocate Rakesh Dwivedi, defended the SIR process, asserting its transparency and compliance with the court’s August 14 directive to publish details of the excluded voters online. The commission maintained that the exercise was necessary to ensure error-free electoral rolls and denied allegations of arbitrary deletions, noting that reasons for exclusions were provided and accessible at polling stations and district offices.
While declining the extension, the court emphasised the ECI’s obligation to process all valid claims fairly and urged political parties to take a proactive role in supporting affected voters. The matter is scheduled for further hearing on September 8, 2025, to review the progress of claims and objections.
