Supreme Court Directs ECI to Clarify Voter Deletions and Additions in Bihar
Hearing adjourned till October 9
In a significant development, the Supreme Court of India on October 7, 2025, asked the Election Commission of India (ECI) to clarify discrepancies surrounding the exclusion and addition of voters in Bihar’s electoral roll. The direction came during a hearing on petitions filed by the Association for Democratic Reforms (ADR) and others, raising concerns over large-scale deletions during the electoral roll revision process.
Background
As part of the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of the Bihar electoral roll, the ECI had deleted nearly 65 lakh names from the 2025 draft electoral list, following the 2022 summary revision. Officials claimed the deletions were made to remove the names of deceased or relocated voters. However, multiple civil society groups and opposition parties alleged that the deletions were carried out without issuing individual notices to voters, a mandatory step under the Standard Operating Procedure (SOP). This raised serious concerns about transparency and due process in the revision exercise.
Present Scenario
During Tuesday’s hearing, a bench led by Justice Surya Kant and Justice Joymalya Bagchi expressed concern over the “confusion” regarding whether the names added to the final list were new voters or re-inclusions of those deleted earlier. The court emphasized that transparency is central to democratic processes and directed the ECI to clarify the status of the additions and deletions.
While the ECI asserted that individual deletion orders were issued, the petitioners argued that voters received no such communication, depriving them of their right to appeal. The court further noted that the number of deleted voters stands at 3.66 lakh, while 21 lakh names were added in the final electoral list.
The bench has also invited affidavits from affected individuals and indicated that it may order the ECI to publish the list of excluded voters, to bolster public confidence in the electoral process.
The hearing has been adjourned till October 9, when the ECI is expected to submit its clarification.
