Supreme Court denies immediate stay on Bihar electoral roll revision, next hearing on July 10

The EC has said the revision aims to remove ineligible entries and ensure that only eligible citizens are included in the electoral rolls ahead of the state assembly elections.

The Supreme Court, on Monday, agreed to hear on July 10 a batch of pleas challenging the Election Commission of India’s move to conduct a Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls in poll-bound Bihar.

Senior Advocates Kapil Sibal, Dr Abhishek Manu Singhvi, Gopal Sankaranarayanan, and Shadan Farasat jointly mentioned the matter before a partial working days bench comprising Justice Sudhanshu Dhulia and Justice Joymalya Bagchi, seeking urgent listing.

A partial working day (PWD) bench comprising Justices Sudhanshu Dhulia and Joymalya Bagchi took note of submissions made by Sibal, who appeared on behalf of multiple petitioners, including TMC MP Mahua Moitra and Rashtriya Janata Dal MP Manoj Jha.

Sibal also urged the court to issue a notice to the poll panel.

“We will have it on Thursday,” Justice Dhulia said.

The petitioners have raised strong objections to the EC’s June 24 order, which called for a state-wide revision of electoral rolls in Bihar, the first such exercise since 2003.

The EC has said the revision aims to remove ineligible entries and ensure that only eligible citizens are included in the electoral rolls ahead of the state assembly elections.

Moitra, Jha, and others have argued that the SIR violates several constitutional provisions, including Article 14 (equality before the law), Article 21 (protection of life and personal liberty), Article 325 (non-discrimination in electoral rolls), and Article 326 (universal adult suffrage). They are seeking that the EC’s directive be quashed in its entirety.

In addition to political leaders, several non-governmental organisations have also approached the apex court, voicing similar concerns. The Association for Democratic Reforms (ADR), People’s Union for Civil Liberties (PUCL), and activist Yogendra Yadav are among those who have filed petitions against the EC’s move.

The petitioners have raised questions about the transparency and timing of the revision, warning that it could result in large-scale disenfranchisement and compromise the integrity of the electoral process.

The bench has permitted the petitioners to serve advance notice to the Election Commission.