Activist lawyer Prashant Bhushan’s NGO Association For Democratic Reforms (ADR) on Saturday moved Supreme Court challenging the Election Commission’s Special Intensive Revision (SIR) revision of electoral roll in poll-bound Bihar.
The plea seeks setting aside of the SIR order. The petition states, “The SIR order, dated 24th June 2025, if not set aside, can arbitrarily and without due process disenfranchise lakhs of voters from electing their representatives, thereby disrupting free and fair elections and democracy in the country, which are part of basic structure of the Constitution.
“That the documentation requirements of the directive, lack of due process as well as the unreasonably short timeline for the said Special Intensive Revision of Electoral Roll in Bihar further make this exercise bound to result in removal of names of lakhs of genuine voters from electoral rolls leading to their disenfranchisement.”
“Issue a writ, order or direction setting aside Order and Communication dated 24.06.2025 and accompanying guidelines issued by Election Commission of India to conduct Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of the electoral rolls in Bihar as being in violation of Articles 14, 19, 21, 325, 326 of the Constitution of India and provisions of Representation of People Act, 1950 and Registration of Electors Rules, 1960,” the petition pleaded.
The SIR began on June 28, the first intensive revision since 2003, is scheduled to conclude on September 30 with the publication of the updated voter rolls.
Opposition INDIA bloc already criticised the timing of the revision and alleged that the exercise was a veiled attempt to disenfranchise sections of the electorate in order to favour the ruling alliance.