The Supreme Court will hear on September 1 a plea filed by the Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) and other political stakeholders seeking an extension of time to file claims for individuals not included in the draft voters’ list for Bihar during the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of the electoral rolls. The application was mentioned before a bench comprising Justices Surya Kant and Joymalya Bagchi, which agreed to take up the matter on Monday.
Appearing for the RJD, senior advocates Prashant Bhushan and Shoeb Alam highlighted that the last date for submitting claims is currently September 1, leaving little time for the large number of applicants to complete the process. Alam noted that the number of claims has risen exponentially, creating an urgent need for more time. The RJD has specifically requested a two-week extension, suggesting that claims from deleted voters should be accepted until September 15.
During the brief mention, the bench questioned why the applicants had not approached the Election Commission of India directly. Bhushan responded that the Commission had been approached but was not extending the timeline, prompting the plea to be moved before the Supreme Court.
Advocate Mohammed Nizam Pasha, representing AIMIM MLA Akhtarul Iman, noted that approximately 80,000 claims were filed in the three weeks prior to the court’s last order, and the number increased to 95,000 afterward. This sharp rise underscores the scale of voter inclusion challenges during the ongoing SIR process.
The Election Commission has published the draft electoral roll for Bihar on August 1, including 7.24 crore voters. Eligible citizens must submit one of the 11 specified documents to substantiate their inclusion by September 1. The final electoral roll is scheduled to be published on September 30, ahead of the upcoming assembly elections.
The plea reflects broader concerns about voter inclusion and access in the lead-up to critical state elections. Political parties and candidates have emphasized the importance of ensuring that all eligible voters have the opportunity to participate in the democratic process, while the Election Commission balances the need for accuracy and timeliness in finalizing the rolls.
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