SC Directive on Bihar SIR: Congress Claims EC ‘Exposed’ and ‘G2 Puppeteers Defeated

Fast Summary

• Teh Supreme Court issued a directive on revising electoral rolls in Bihar under the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) process.
• Congress welcomed this decision, claiming it addressed an alleged “brutal assault” by the Election Commission of India (ECI) on democracy.
• Congress general secretary Jairam Ramesh stated that the ECI must accept Aadhaar cards as proof of identity for deleted voters and include political parties in revision processes.
• On August 14, the Supreme Court overturned ECI’s decision to withhold lists of deleted voters and instructed publishing them with reasons for deletion.
• The bench allowed Aadhaar cards and any one of 11 permissible documents to be submitted as proof during claims filing for electoral roll revisions,aiming for inclusiveness.
• The court directed Bihar’s Chief Electoral Officer to involve political parties after surprise was expressed regarding their lack of involvement in filing objections over 65 lakh excluded voters.

Indian Opinion Analysis

The latest Supreme Court ruling underscores its commitment to making electoral processes transparent and inclusive. By mandating the acceptance of Aadhaar as a valid form of identification and requiring public disclosure regarding voter deletions, critical guardrails were established to prevent exclusionary practices during roll revisions.

This progress may strengthen trust in India’s democratic systems by addressing concerns about arbitrary disenfranchisement while holding institutions like the Election Commission accountable through enforceable standards. Political parties’ mandated participation could also add scrutiny but raises questions about ensuring objectivity through multi-stakeholder inputs.

For Bihar specifically, resolving issues related to voter exclusions could enhance local confidence in election outcomes-a major necessity ahead of meaningful polls given historical complaints about fairness from various stakeholders.

Read More