No Bihar voter to be dropped without prior notice, poll body assures Supreme Court

The Election Commission of India (ECI) has told the Supreme Court that no eligible voter in Bihar will be struck off the electoral rolls without being served a prior notice, given a fair hearing, and allowed to submit documents in defense.

In a fresh affidavit defending the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls in the poll-bound state, the Commission said it will “strictly adhere” to principles of natural justice and ensure every deletion order is reasoned, documented, and issued by a competent authority.

The move comes amid fierce opposition allegations that the revision process — launched ahead of the Assembly elections expected in October or November — could disenfranchise lakhs, especially from marginalized communities, through “arbitrary” documentation demands. Critics have labeled the exercise a “vote theft” engineered by the BJP.

“As a matter of policy, no deletion from the draft rolls published on August 1, 2025, will be undertaken without prior notice to the concerned elector, grounds for deletion, an opportunity to be heard, and a reasoned order,” the ECI told the court.

The Commission said it has implemented a two-tier appeals system, extensive awareness drives, and targeted outreach to ensure no eligible voter is excluded. Out of 7.89 crore electors in Bihar, it noted, more than 7.24 crore have already submitted their enumeration forms.

To facilitate scrutiny of the draft rolls — open for claims and objections until September 1 —printed and digital copies have been given to political parties, while the public can access them online. Booth Level Officers are conducting repeated door-to-door visits, urban camps have been held across 261 municipalities, and advertisements have been placed in 246 newspapers to reach migrants.

Special campaigns are also planned to register first-time voters who turn 18 by October 1.

While multiple petitions have challenged the SIR in the Supreme Court, the ECI insists the exercise is routine and necessary to maintain the rolls’ integrity by removing names of the deceased, duplicates, or those who have permanently moved.