Bihar SIR row: 'Why can't you put names on website?' Supreme Court asks EC

The Supreme Court on Thursday asked the Election Commission of India (ECI) whether it was possible for it to put the names of the missing voters on a display board or its official website. The court added that disclosing the names of dead, migrated or shifted electors on a display board or website would give room to correct inadvertent errors. 

The top court's observation came during a hearing of several petitions against the Election Commission's ongoing special intensive revision (SIR) exercise in Bihar. 

"Why can't you put these names on a display board or on website? Those aggrieved can take remedial measures within 30 days," the Supreme Court bench was quoted as saying by news agency PTI.

The Supreme Court also urged the EC to consider issuing a public notice specifying the details of websites, place, or the platform where the information about dead, migrated or shifted electors is shared.

The bench also asked the ECI as to why it could not disclose the names of the people who have died, shifted or migrated to other constituencies.

To this, the poll body said that the list of names of persons who have died, migrated, or shifted has already been given to the workers of political parties. 

It added that around 6.5 crore people do not need to submit any documents for SIR in the poll-bound state as per conservative estimates.

The EC further said that it is operating in an environment of sharp political tension and there is "hardly any decision which is not contested". The poll body also said that it is stuck in the fight between political parties, while adding "if they win, EVM is good, if they loose, EVM is bad". 

On August 13, the top court said that the electoral rolls cannot remain 'static' and there is bound to be a revision. It added that the expanded list of acceptable documents of identity from 7 to 11 for the SIR exercise was "voter-friendly and not exclusionary". 

While disagreeing with a submission that the SIR in Bihar had no legal basis and ought to be quashed, the apex court said the EC had residual power to conduct the exercise as it deemed fit. 

Leaders of opposition parties including the Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) and the Congress and the NGO Association of Democratic Reforms(ADR) have challenged the electoral roll revision drive in Bihar.