Supreme Court Slams Election Commission

The Supreme Court of India has strongly criticized the Election Commission (EC) for initiating a special revision of the voter list in Bihar just two months before the state assembly elections. The apex court questioned why such a crucial task wasn’t undertaken earlier.

The Congress and other opposition parties have accused the EC of favoring the BJP-led alliance to help them win the upcoming Bihar elections. Challenging the special revision of the electoral roll, opposition parties from Bihar approached the Supreme Court, raising concerns over the timing and intent of the move.

A bench comprising Justice Sudhanshu Dhulia and Justice Joymalya Bagchi heard the petitions. While the court acknowledged the importance of cleansing the voter list and ensuring only Indian citizens are included, it expressed serious concern over the last-minute revision so close to the elections.

The bench stated that it is indeed important to remove non-citizens from the electoral roll. However, it also firmly asserted that the Election Commission does not have the authority to determine whether a person is an Indian citizen or not. This responsibility does not fall under the EC's purview.

When the EC argued that it has rights under Article 326, the court reacted strongly, clarifying that citizenship verification is beyond the EC’s constitutional role. The court took objection to the EC allegedly pressuring voters to prove their citizenship by July 25, warning that failure to do so would lead to the loss of their voting rights.

Lawyers representing the petitioners alleged that this sudden revision was a deliberate political strategy aimed at removing SC, ST, minority, and backward class voters—groups traditionally seen as opposing the BJP—from the voter list.

Given the limited time left before the elections, opposition parties have requested the Supreme Court to halt the special revision process. All eyes are now on the Supreme Court's final verdict in this politically sensitive matter.