Supreme Court Criticizes Bihar Electoral Revision as Trust Deficit Looms

The Supreme Court addressed the Bihar electoral roll revision exercise, highlighting a trust deficit as a core issue. The Election Commission claimed most voters were not required to file documents, while petitioners argued that this could lead to the disenfranchisement of a significant number of eligible voters.

The Supreme Court on Tuesday described the Bihar special intensive revision (SIR) of the electoral roll as primarily a trust deficit issue. Justices Surya Kant and Joymalya Bagchi voiced concerns over the alleged disenfranchisement of roughly one crore voters, despite most of them not needing to file additional documentation.

The Election Commission of India (ECI) maintained that the SIR exercise aimed to uphold electoral integrity. The bench urged the ECI to prepare comprehensive data and address inaccuracies, including the issue of voters incorrectly marked as dead or relocated.

Advocates argued that many voters struggled to produce required documents, but the EC asserts that only eligible corrections were made. The ongoing debate reflects broader concerns over electoral fairness and citizens' voting rights as hearings continue.

(With inputs from agencies.)