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After ADR, Mahua, Yogendra, PUCL move SC against revision of electoral rolls in Bihar

The Election Commission stands firm, asserts that revision of electoral rolls in Bihar is ‘being implemented smoothly at the ground level’ and ‘there is no change in instructions’
Photo for representational purpose only. File

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TMC MP Mahua Moitra, activist Yogendra Yadav and People’s Union for Civil Liberties (PUCL) have moved the Supreme Court challenging the Special Intensive Revision of Electoral Rolls (SIR) in Bihar ahead of assembly polls in October-November, 2025 even as the Election Commission (EC) asserted that it will go ahead with it.

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The EC had on June 24 ordered an SIR in Bihar --- first since 2003 --- to weed out ineligible individuals and ensure only eligible citizens were included in the electoral rolls. The exercise was necessitated by rapid urbanisation, frequent migration, young citizens becoming eligible to vote, non-reporting of deaths, and inclusion of the names of foreign illegal immigrants, it said.

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In a statement issued in Patna, the EC clarified that while voters were required to “submit their documents any time before July 25, 2025”, those who failed to do so would get an opportunity “during the Claims & Objections period also”. It urged people to “beware of statements being made by a few persons, who without reading the SIR order dated 24 June 2025.... are attempting to confuse the public with their incorrect and misleading statements”.

The EC said the SIR was progressing as per its order and the draft list would contain the names of existing voters whose enumeration forms were received, the Bihar Chief Electoral Officer (CEO) said in a social media post.

Apprehending potential disenfranchisement of nearly three crore voters, the Association of Democratic Reforms (ADR) had on Saturday filed a PIL, urging the top court to set aside the EC’s SIR Order as being arbitrary and violative of Articles 14, 19, 21, 325 and 326 of the Constitution as well as provisions of Representation of People’s Act, 1950 and Rule 21A of the Registration of Electors Rules, 1960. Pending its petition, the petitioner NGO urged the top court to stay the implementation of EC’s June 24, 2025 SIR Order to conduct an SIR of the electoral rolls in poll-bound Bihar.

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Now Moitra has sought setting aside of the EC’s June 24 order for SIR, alleging it violated various provisions of the Constitution and provisions of Representation of People (RP) Act, 1950, and Registration of Electors Rules, 1960.

The People’s Union for Civil Liberties (PUCL) too has filed petitions restraining the EC from conducting an SIR in Bihar, alleging that the EC has “not defined any legitimate aim, nor sought to avoid disproportionate harm to electors.”

Activist Yogendra Yadav has also sought an immediate stay on the SIR, calling it “manifestly arbitrary, unreasonable, and violative of electoral laws.”

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