Bihar polls 2025: SC seeks detailed report from EC on exclusion of over 3 crore voters in SIR exercise

During the hearing, the Apex court then asked the ECI to provide details of the 3.66 lakh voters who were removed from the final electoral list prepared under the SIR process.

The next hearing is on Thursday

Surarika Das | Updated on: Oct 07, 2025 | 04:22 PM

New Delhi: The Supreme Court on Tuesday heard petitions challenging the Election Commission of India’s (ECI) decision to carry out a Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls in poll-bound Bihar. During the hearing, the Apex court then asked the ECI to provide details of the 3.66 lakh voters who were removed from the final electoral list prepared under the SIR process.

Responding to the Supreme Court's question, the EC clarified that the maximum names added to the list were the new ones while the older names which were lesser in number were deleted. The EC also claimed that none of the voters, whose names were removed from the list, had filed any complaint or appeal. It added that only politicians and NGOs based in Delhi were raising concerns over the issue, not the affected voters themselves.

How has the SC responded

Hearing the EC's claims, the SC directed that any decisions it will take regarding Bihar, will be applied to all states as well. Previously, the Court stated that if it finds any discrepancies in EC's methodology while examining the SIR, the entire exercise would be put aside. "If we find any illegality in the methodology adopted by the ECI at any stage of the Bihar SIR, the entire exercise will be set aside. We cannot give a piecemeal opinion; our verdict will be applicable pan-India,” the court said.

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The Supreme Court posted the case for the hearing next on October 9, 2025, from 3:30 pm to 4 pm for the ECI to give a basic response to allegations levelled by Association of Democratic Reforms. The case would again be posted on October 14 for a detailed hearing.