Political analyst and election reform advocate Yogendra Yadav has filed a Public Interest Litigation (PIL) in the Supreme Court challenging the Election Commission of India’s (ECI) decision to conduct a “Special Intensive Revision” (SIR) of the electoral rolls in Bihar. The move comes amid growing concerns that the revision could lead to mass disenfranchisement ahead of the upcoming Assembly elections in the state.
The PIL, filed under Article 32 of the Constitution, seeks an immediate stay on the SIR, labelling it as “manifestly arbitrary, unreasonable, and violative of electoral laws.” The petition warns that the ECI's June 24 order could result in millions of voters—especially women, daily-wage workers, migrants, and marginalised communities—being struck off the rolls unjustly.
Yadav argues that the SIR forces even registered voters to re-submit identity documents from a limited set of 11 proofs, excluding widely used ones such as Aadhaar cards, ration cards, and MGNREGA job cards. Failure to comply by the July 25 deadline, he claims, will result in automatic deletion of names without proper notice or hearing—violating the principles of natural justice.
The petition cites violations of Section 22 of the Representation of the People Act, 1950, and Rule 21-A of the Registration of Electors Rules, 1960, both of which mandate safeguards before names are removed from electoral rolls. It also invokes Articles 14, 15, and 326 of the Constitution, contending that the SIR discriminates against vulnerable groups and infringes upon the fundamental right to vote.
Highlighting the impracticality of conducting verification during Bihar’s monsoon season, the petition notes that many among the state’s 7.89 crore voters lack formal documentation such as birth or land records.
Yadav further references the Supreme Court's landmark KS Puttaswamy (2017) judgment and the Lal Babu Hussein (1995) ruling to emphasise the constitutional principle of continuity for existing voters.
The Supreme Court is expected to hear the matter in the coming days.
