Election Commission publishes names of 65L deleted voters in Bihar after SC order

Patna, August 19: The Election Commission (EC) on Monday released the names of around 65 lakh voters who were removed from Bihar’s draft electoral rolls as part of the ongoing special intensive revision (SIR) exercise, officials said.

The deleted entries, categorised as “ASD” (Absentee, Shifted, and Dead) voters, are being displayed across polling booths in districts such as Rohtas, Begusarai and Arwal.

The poll panel is also likely to make the lists available online, in line with the directions of the Supreme Court.

The development follows the apex court’s August 14 order directing the EC to publish details of deleted names, along with reasons for their non-inclusion, by August 19 and file a compliance report by August 22.

A bench of Justices Surya Kant and Joymalya Bagchi passed the directive while hearing petitions challenging the EC’s June-24 decision to carry out a special revision of the electoral rolls in Bihar.

The court said the list of deleted names—comprising those who have died, migrated, or shifted to other constituencies—must be displayed at panchayat offices and district returning officers’ offices.

The EC had earlier stated that of the 65 lakh deletions, 22.34 lakh were on account of deaths, 36.28 lakh were marked as “permanently shifted/absent,” and 7.01 lakh were found “already enrolled at more than one place.”

The Supreme Court further allowed aggrieved voters to approach election officials with their Aadhaar cards to seek restoration of their names.

It also noted on August 13 that electoral rolls cannot remain “static” and must undergo periodic revision. Upholding the EC’s decision to expand the list of acceptable identity documents from seven to 11, the bench observed the move was “voter-friendly and not exclusionary.”

Meanwhile, the special revision exercise has sparked political controversy, with opposition parties such as the Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) and the Congress, along with the NGO Association of Democratic Reforms (ADR), questioning the deletions and alleging that the drive could disenfranchise voters in the state.

With inputs from PTI