Bihar SIR: SC to hear plea seeking extension of Sept 1 voter list deadline

The ongoing SIR process in Bihar. (Representative Image)

The Supreme Court will hear on September 1 a plea by the Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) seeking an extension of the deadline for filing claims and objections to the draft voters’ list in Bihar.

Advocate Prashant Bhushan, appearing for the party, mentioned the matter before a bench led by Justice Surya Kant, requesting an additional week beyond the current September 1 cutoff. Bhushan said that over 1.75 lakh claims were filed before and after the court’s August 22 order, prompting the demand for more time.

On August 22, the top court had allowed those excluded from the draft electoral roll during the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) to apply online for inclusion without submitting physical forms. It also directed all 12 political parties in Bihar to ensure their booth-level agents assist people in filing Form 6 with any of 11 valid documents, including Aadhaar.

The bench had stressed that nearly 65 lakh people missing from the draft rolls should be facilitated in the process, barring those who have died or migrated. The matter stems from petitions challenging the Election Commission of India’s (ECI) June 24 directive, which mandates additional proof of citizenship for a large section of voters in Bihar.

Petitioners, including RJD MP Manoj Jha, ADR, PUCL, activist Yogendra Yadav, TMC MP Mahua Moitra, and former Bihar MLA Mujahid Alam, argued the move could disproportionately impact poor and marginalised voters. They also objected to excluding widely used documents like Aadhaar and ration cards.

The ECI, in an affidavit, said it had published lists of approximately 65 lakh electors excluded from the draft roll, along with reasons for removal such as death, migration, or duplicate entries, on all 38 district election websites.

*With ANI inputs