New Delhi: The Supreme Court on Friday ruled that people excluded from the draft electoral roll in Bihar during the ongoing Special Intensive Revision (SIR) can use Aadhaar, along with any of the 11 documents specified by the Election Commission of India (ECI), to reclaim their names. The Court stressed that the revision exercise must remain “voter-friendly” and directed that both online and physical objections be allowed.

A Bench of Justices Surya Kant and Joymalya Bagchi clarified that Booth Level Agents (BLAs) and voters can submit claims and objections electronically, without the need for hard copies. Where forms are filed physically, booth-level officers must issue acknowledgement receipts. The Court further directed political parties to actively assist excluded voters, expressing concern that only two objections had been filed by BLAs despite reports of mass deletions.

The case arises from petitions challenging the ECI’s June 24 directive ordering a Special Intensive Revision of Bihar’s electoral rolls ahead of state elections. Petitioners, including the Association of Democratic Reforms (ADR), alleged that the exercise risks disenfranchising lakhs of genuine voters, thereby undermining democracy. Opposition parties have also criticised the SIR, arguing that excluding Aadhaar—India’s most widely held identity document—from the accepted list was unfair.

During earlier hearings, the Court was informed that around 65 lakh names were dropped from the draft rolls published on August 1. The ECI assured that no name would be deleted without prior notice, a hearing, and a reasoned order. It also told the Court that approximately 85,000 new voters had already registered in the revision exercise.

Complying with the Court’s directions, the ECI published online the names of voters marked as “ASD” (Absentee, Shifted, Dead), with corresponding lists displayed at polling stations across several districts including Rohtas, Begusarai, Arwal, Siwan, Bhojpur, Jehanabad, Lakhisarai, Banka, Darbhanga, and Purnea.

The Supreme Court emphasised that the SIR should be transparent and inclusive, urging all stakeholders, especially political parties, to ensure that no eligible citizen is denied the right to vote.