Bihar Electoral Rolls: SC Allows Online Applications with Aadhaar
The Supreme Court, in the Bihar Special Intensive Revision (SIR) case, has ordered that voters excluded from the draft electoral rolls can now submit their applications for inclusion online. The Court clarified that an Aadhaar card or any of the eleven documents recognised by the Election Commission of India (ECI) will be sufficient for this process.
A Bench of Justices Surya Kant and Joymalya Bagchi also directed all 12 recognised political parties in Bihar to instruct their Booth Level Agents (BLAs) to help voters with the submission of forms. The Court noted with concern that although nearly 1.6 lakh BLAs are active in the State, only two objections have been filed so far.
The Court further directed Booth Level Officers (BLOs) to issue acknowledgement receipts whenever physical forms are submitted, following complaints that objections were not being recorded.
Senior Advocate Rakesh Dwivedi, appearing for the ECI, informed the Court that lists of excluded voters along with reasons for their deletion have been published online and at polling booths, and also shared with BLAs. He added that more than 2 lakh new applications for inclusion have already been filed.
On the other hand, Senior Advocates Kapil Sibal and Dr. Abhishek Manu Singhvi, representing opposition parties, argued that many voters, particularly migrant workers, face difficulties in filing applications and that BLAs are not present in all constituencies. Advocate Prashant Bhushan also highlighted these concerns.
The Court acknowledged these issues and stressed that voters can submit forms online using Aadhaar or other valid documents. It also noted the ECI’s assurance that if BLAs verify at least 10 documents a day, the entire verification process can be completed within a few days.
The matter arises from petitions challenging the ECI’s Bihar SIR exercise, under which nearly 65 lakh names were reportedly excluded from the draft rolls. The petitioners have argued that the process is illegal and shifts the burden of proving citizenship onto voters.
The case continues to be closely watched as Bihar prepares for Assembly elections in November 2025.
