In Shorts
- The Supreme Court warned it would “set aside” the entire Bihar voter list if the Election Commission’s revision drive disenfranchises legitimate voters.
- The hearing stems from petitions alleging a targeted removal of over 3 lakh voters, predominantly from one community, without proper procedure.
- The Election Commission defended its actions, asserting the removals were based on field verification and due process.
NEW DELHI, India – The Supreme Court delivered a powerful admonishment to the Election Commission of India (ECI) on Tuesday, stating in unambiguous terms that it would not tolerate the disenfranchisement of any eligible voter in Bihar. The top court warned that it would “set aside” the entire voter list generated from the ongoing Special Summary Revision (SR) drive if found to be in violation of constitutional and legal safeguards.
The stern warning came from a bench led by Justice Sanjiv Khanna, who was hearing petitions challenging the ECI’s drive in Bihar. The petitions alleged a targeted and arbitrary deletion of names, with claims that over 300,000 voters, largely from a specific demographic, were purged from the electoral rolls without due process.
“We are not going to allow deletion of a single voter without due process… if we find that any eligible voter has been deleted, we will set aside the entire exercise,” Justice Khanna stated emphatically during the proceedings. The bench underscored that the right to vote is a sacred constitutional right that cannot be infringed upon without strict adherence to the law.
The ECI, represented by Senior Advocate Amit Sharma, fervently defended its actions. The poll body argued that the revision was a routine exercise aimed at cleansing the electoral roll of duplicate and ineligible entries. Sharma submitted that the removals were not arbitrary but were based on thorough field verification and proper procedures as mandated under the Representation of the People Act, 1951.
The court, while acknowledging the ECI’s need to maintain accurate rolls, remained firm on its priority: protecting voter rights. It has demanded a comprehensive affidavit from the Election Commission, detailing the exact procedures followed, the steps taken to notify voters before deletion, and the methods of verification employed during the SR drive.
This judicial intervention highlights the critical balance election authorities must strike between ensuring roll integrity and preventing the disenfranchisement of legitimate voters. The Supreme Court’s firm stance serves as a significant reminder that the authority to manage electoral rolls is subject to the overarching principles of democratic inclusion and constitutional fairness. The case is scheduled for further hearing, keeping the Election Commission’s operations in Bihar under intense judicial scrutiny.
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