The Election Commission of India (ECI) has informed the Supreme Court that the names and details of nearly 65 lakh electors excluded from Bihar’s draft electoral roll, published on August 1, have been made publicly accessible through both online and offline platforms.
In its affidavit, the poll panel said the lists—citing reasons such as death, change of residence, or duplicate entries—have been uploaded on the websites of all 38 District Electoral Officers in Bihar. Physical copies, it added, have also been displayed in Panchayat Bhavans, block development offices, and village Panchayat offices to enable scrutiny.
The ECI further stated that advertisements about the availability of the lists were issued in leading newspapers, broadcast on radio and television, and circulated via social media. It also clarified that affected voters could submit Aadhaar copies along with their claims for inclusion.
The affidavit was filed in compliance with the Supreme Court’s August 14 direction to publish a booth-wise list of around 65 lakh voters excluded during the ongoing Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of Bihar’s electoral rolls.
Notably, these names had featured in the voter rolls prepared after the January 2025 summary revision but were dropped from the August draft roll.
A bench of Justices Surya Kant and Joymalya Bagchi is hearing petitions challenging the SIR exercise. The pleas—filed by RJD MP Manoj Jha, Association for Democratic Reforms (ADR), PUCL, activist Yogendra Yadav, TMC MP Mahua Moitra, and former MLA Mujahid Alam—seek to quash the ECI’s June 24 directive mandating voters to submit proof of citizenship.
The petitioners argue that excluding widely used documents such as Aadhaar and ration cards could disproportionately affect poor and marginalised communities in rural Bihar.
