SC refuses to extend Bihar SIR exercise; EC says claims, objection can be filed beyond Sept 1

The Supreme Court on Monday refused to extend the deadline of the Bihar Special Intensive Revision (SIR) and said that confusion over Bihar SIR exercise is ‘largely trust issue’. The top court asked the political parties to ‘activate’ themselves.

It also directed the Bihar Legal Service Authority to deploy para-legal volunteers to assist voters, political parties in filing claims, objections.

The apex court also said that claims, objections and corrections in the draft electoral roll prepared in the SIR exercise can be filed even after September 1, adding that these would be considered once the electoral roll was finalised. A bench of Justices Surya Kant and Joymalya Bagchi noted the submission of the poll panel which stated that claims and objections could be filed till the last date of nomination forms in each assembly constituency.

Acknowledging the confusion over the exercise, the Supreme Court said it was “largely trust issue. The court also directed the Bihar legal service authority to deploy paralegal volunteers to assist individual voters and political parties in filling claims and objections to the draft roll, which was published on August 1.

EC’s submission in the court

Appearing for the Election Commission, senior advocate Rakesh Dwivedi said, “Any extension of deadline will lead to disruption of the entire exercise and finalisation of final electoral roll.” He said that 99.5 per cent of the 2.74 crore electors in the draft electoral roll had filed the eligibility documents and countered the claims of RJD, which alleged of having filed 36 claims, and said the party had filed only 10 such claims.

Dwivedi added that the 36 claims that RJD mentioned in its petition had also been “duly accepted”. The ECI stated it would issue notices within seven days to those electors whose documents were incomplete, calling SIR a “continuing exercise”.

Most claims and objections filed by political parties were for exclusion, not inclusion, of names from voter rolls, the poll panel added. 

Court’s order to para-legal volunteers

The SC bench also directed the paralegal volunteers to file confidential reports with the district judges concerned for consideration by September 8. Opposition parties RJD and AIMIM sought extension of the deadline to file claims and objections in the poll revision exercise in poll-bound Bihar, which is on September 1 (Monday).

Elections are due in Bihar in October-November this year and the EC has to publish the finalised list of voters before the announcement of dates of poll. The opposition has called the SIR an attempt of “vote theft”, questioning the manner in which it is being done.