'Accept online claims using Adhaar, 11 other docs': SC's big directive to EC in Bihar SIR row

The Supreme Court today directed the Election Commission of India (ECI) to allow voters excluded from the electoral roll in Bihar to submit their claims online, in addition to physical submissions, as part of the special intensive revision (SIR) exercise.

A bench comprising Justices Surya Kant and Joymalya Bagchi permitted claim forms to be filed using an Aadhaar card along with any one of the 11 acceptable documents.

Surprised that political parties hadn’t filed objections over the exclusion of 65 lakh voters, the bench directed the chief electoral officer of Bihar to involve them in the proceedings.

“All the political parties shall file the status report by the next date of hearing on the claim form they had facilitated in filing by excluded voters,” the bench said, setting the next hearing for September 8.

The court also asked election officials to provide acknowledgement receipts to booth-level agents of political parties submitting claim forms physically.

Senior advocate Rakesh Dwivedi, appearing for the ECI, requested a 15-day window to demonstrate there was no wrongful exclusion.

“The political parties are making hue and cry and things are not bad. Repose faith in us and give us some more time. We will be able to show you there are no exclusions,” Dwivedi said.

The ECI informed the bench that about 85,000 excluded voters had already filed claims, while over 2 lakh new voters had registered under the ongoing SIR process.

On August 14, the court had directed the ECI to publish, by August 19, details of the 65 lakh voters left out of the draft rolls and to allow Aadhaar as a valid ID to improve transparency.

Noting the growing distrust around the revision, the bench had said, “Transparency will create voter confidence,” and asked the ECI to explain why those voters were excluded.

The SIR in Bihar — the first such revision since 2003 — has triggered a political storm after the state’s total registered voters dropped from 7.9 crore to 7.24 crore.