New Delhi: The Association for Democratic Reforms (ADR), an NGO run by senior advocate Prashant Bhushan, moved the Supreme Court on Saturday, challenging the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) being carried out by the Election Commission of India (ECI) in Bihar ahead of the Assembly elections in the state.
“The SIR order, dated 24th June 2025, if not set aside, can arbitrarily and without due process disenfranchise lakhs of voters from electing their representatives, thereby disrupting free and fair elections and democracy in the country, which are part of basic structure of the Constitution,” The petition states.
“That the documentation requirements of the directive, lack of due process as well as the unreasonably short timeline for the said Special Intensive Revision of Electoral Roll in Bihar further make this exercise bound to result in removal of names of lakhs of genuine voters from electoral rolls leading to their disenfranchisement,” it adds.
“Issue a writ, order or direction setting aside Order and Communication dated 24.06.2025 and accompanying guidelines issued by Election Commission of India to conduct Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of the electoral rolls in Bihar as being in violation of Articles 14, 19, 21, 325, 326 of the Constitution of India and provisions of Representation of People Act, 1950 and Registration of Electors Rules, 1960,” ADR has pleaded.
SIR started on June 28. This will be the first intensive revision since 2003 that is scheduled to conclude on September 30 with publication of the updated voter rolls.
The ECI has already released the 2003 Electoral Roll. As per its guidelines, those whose names feature on that Roll will continue to be considered genuine voters. Their children – whose names do not appear on the 2003 Electoral Roll – will only have to provide documents for themselves and not their parents. The others will have to provide all details about themselves as well as their parents.
While the ECI has maintained that this is a routine exercise to update the electoral roll, the Opposition INDI Alliance has criticised the timing of the revision, calling it a veiled attempt to disenfranchise sections of the electorate in order to favour the ruling NDA.
