Supreme Court Upholds Bihar Voter Roll Revision: A Constitutional Mandate

The Supreme Court allowed the Election Commission to use Aadhaar, voter ID, and ration cards as valid documents in Bihar's electoral roll revision. With 66.16% of enumeration forms collected, the deadline is July 25. Justices highlighted voting as a crucial democratic right, supporting the Commission's mandate.

The Supreme Court has directed the Election Commission to accept Aadhaar, voter ID, and ration cards as valid documents in the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of Bihar's electoral rolls. The poll panel reported collecting 66.16% of enumeration forms, with voters having 15 more days to submit their forms.

By Thursday evening, the Commission had gathered over 5.22 crore enumeration forms from Bihar's nearly 7.90 crore electors, since kicking off the SIR on June 24. The EC emphasized that maintaining current momentum could see the task completed before the July 25 deadline.

Justices Sudhanshu Dhulia and Joymalya Bagchi, acknowledging the SIR as a 'constitutional mandate,' permitted the EC to persist in its efforts. They underscored the significance of voting rights in a democratic nation, affirming the constitutional body's role while ensuring adherence to its scope.