The Supreme Court of India on Tuesday questioned the Election Commission of India (ECI) about the recent voter list revisions in Bihar, asking whether the names added to the final electoral roll were the same as those deleted earlier or entirely new voters.

A bench comprising Justices Surya Kant and Joymala Bagchi was hearing petitions that challenged the large-scale deletions during Bihar’s Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls, which concluded on September 30.

The petitioners alleged that around 65 lakh names were removed from the list without proper notice or explanation. The Court emphasized that every voter has the right to challenge such deletions, but meaningful remedies require clear data showing who was removed and whether they were informed beforehand.

The bench noted that while the final voter list appeared to restore some names, it was unclear if the 21 lakh names added were re-entries of those previously removed or entirely new registrations. “We must know if the additions balance the earlier deletions or if these are fresh voters altogether,” the Court observed.

Counsel for the Election Commission submitted that most of the new entries were likely fresh voters. The Court, however, directed the Commission to submit detailed comparative data between the draft and final lists, highlighting the changes and deletions.

Advocate Prashant Bhushan, representing the petitioners, argued that individuals who lost their voting rights cannot easily approach the Supreme Court but that the ECI has the digital capacity to produce and publish the comparative data swiftly.

The petitioners also claimed that many voters were struck off the rolls without any notice, violating basic due-process safeguards. Previously, the Supreme Court had ordered the ECI to publish the list of those proposed for deletion and to allow voters to use Aadhaar as valid proof for re-enrollment during the revision process.

As per data placed before the Court, Bihar had 7.89 crore registered voters as of June 24. After the revision, the total stood at 7.42 crore, with deletions reduced from 65 lakh to 47 lakh following public objections and corrections.

The Court has scheduled the next hearing for October 9, when petitioners are expected to file additional affidavits providing further details about the deletions and omissions.

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