Disclose 65 lakh names deleted from Bihar voter list with reasons, SC tells Election Commission

Supreme Court

The Supreme Court has asked the Election Commission to disclose the names of 65 lakh people whose names have been removed from the voter list in Bihar and has asked the poll body to upload all such names on the EC website along with the reason for deletion.

This has come after the Apex Court heard petitions challenging the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of voter lists in Bihar, where elections will be held soon. Justice Surya Kant noted that the Election Commission has said that 22 lakh people out of the 65 lakh names struck off the list have died.

"If 22 lakh people have died, why is it not disclosed at the booth level? We do not want citizens' right to be dependent on political parties, the judge said, while hearing the petitions.

"We have briefly heard the Election Commission of India. During the course of hearing , the following steps are agreed: ECI will, as interim measure, take following steps: list of 65 lakhs voters whose names appeared in 2025 list but are not included in the draft list shall be displayed on the district level websites," the Bench said in its order.

SC asked the Election Commission, "Why can't you put these names on a display board or on a website? Those aggrieved can take remedial measures within 30 days."

Meanwhile, the poll body said that the Electronic Voting Machines (EVMs) are good if a political party wins, but if a party loses, they suddenly turn bad. "Caught between struggle of political parties, if they win EVM is good, if they lose EVM is bad," ECI said during the hearing.