SC Upholds ECI's Special Voter Roll Revision in Bihar, Says, 'Exercise Is Legally Tenable'
Petitioners say the Election Commission overstepped by deciding citizenship, while the final Bihar roll listed 7.42 crore eligible voters.
- On Wednesday, the Supreme Court delivered its judgment on petitions challenging the constitutionality of Bihar's Special Intensive Revision of electoral rolls, marking the most significant judicial review of India's electoral roll architecture since the Constitution came into force.
- Petitioners, including NGO Association for Democratic Reforms and opposition MPs, claimed the Election Commission lacked constitutional authority under Article 326 and the Representation of the People Act to conduct such a large-scale revision, alleging it constituted an 'NRC-like process' where the poll body verified citizenship—a power vesting in central government.
- Data showed the SIR exercise removed 65 lakh voters from draft rolls, bringing Bihar's final eligible voter tally to 7.42 crore; the Supreme Court mandated the ECI publish searchable deletion records, stating 'the degree of transparency and access to information form the hallmarks of an open democracy.'
- With a second SIR phase having already covered 51 crore voters across 12 States and Union Territories including West Bengal, Tamil Nadu and Assam, this ruling will determine the constitutional fate of ongoing electoral roll revisions nationwide.
- Defending the exercise, the Election Commission argued its power flows from Article 326 guaranteeing universal adult suffrage to citizens only, maintaining Aadhaar cards cannot be conclusive citizenship proof and contending allowing non-citizens to vote would 'go against the grain of the Constitution.
45 Articles
45 Articles
What the SC said while upholding ECI's SIR exercise: Detailed insights into the verdict on electoral rolls and citizenship verification
The Supreme Court on Wednesday, 27th May, upheld the Election Commission of India’s decision to conduct a Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls and said the exercise was aimed at strengthening free and fair elections in the country. The judgment came in response to a batch of petitions challenging the Election Commission’s decision to conduct the SIR process in Bihar last year. A bench comprising Chief Justice Surya Kant and Justic…
ABP News
Asian NewsThe Supreme Court has upheld the 'Special Intensive Revision' (SIR) of the electoral rolls by law. The Court has said that scrutiny and correction of electoral rolls is necessary for free and fair elections. The Bench of Chief Justice Surya Kant and Justice Joymalya Bagchi has given this decision on the petitions challenging the SIR held in Bihar last year. This big decision of the Supreme Court has come on a total of 19 petitions including the …
Supreme Court Clears SIR, Calls It a Step Towards Free and Fair Elections
The Supreme Court of India on 27 May 2026 upheld the constitutional validity of the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls conducted by the Election Commission of India (ECI). The bench, led by Chief Justice of India Surya Kant and Justice Joymalya Bagchi, ruled that the SIR process is consistent with the Representation of the People Act, 1950, and is intended to ensure the accuracy and reliability of electoral rolls, thereby securi…
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