The Congress party has welcomed the Supreme Court’s suggestion that the Election Commission of India (ECI) should consider Aadhaar, EPIC (voter ID) and ration cards during the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of Bihar’s electoral rolls, calling it a “relief for democracy”, reported The Times of India. The top court directed the ECI to include these widely used documents while rejecting calls to stay the ongoing exercise—a move hailed by opposition parties as a victory for voter inclusion.
Congress general secretary K.C. Venugopal described the court’s remarks as a significant step towards ensuring fairness in the electoral process. He expressed hope that the ECI would act on the court’s recommendation, which he said offered renewed confidence to ordinary voters. “That itself is the biggest thing coming from the Supreme Court,” he told reporters, noting that the matter is scheduled for another hearing on July 28.
Opposition parties beyond Congress also cheered the Supreme Court’s stance. RJD leader Tejashwi Yadav said the court’s directive vindicates longstanding concerns about excluding marginalized groups, while CPI‑ML’s Dipankar Bhattacharya cautioned that migrant and temporary workers could be easily disenfranchised without ample documentation and official acknowledgement of forms received by the ECI.
In contrast, the ECI defended its SIR exercise as a constitutional obligation necessitated under Article 326 and the Representation of People Act. It maintained that Aadhaar, EPIC, and ration cards were already being collected in the enumeration process and that the existing list of 11 documents was not meant to be exhaustive. Still, the Supreme Court’s counsel emphasized that any exclusion had to be justified transparently.
Petitioners, including senior advocates such as Kapil Sibal and A.M. Singhvi, had raised alarms about a requirement for proof of citizenship dating back to 2003, calling it arbitrary and fraught with practical challenges. The Supreme Court said it would not stay the ongoing exercise but asked three key questions of the ECI: whether it had the legal authority to launch the SIR, whether the process complied with statutory norms, and whether the proximity to the election date allowed sufficient time to protect voter rights.
Importantly, the court clarified that assessing citizenship is the prerogative of the Ministry of Home Affairs—not the ECI—a point highlighted by both petitioners and the Commission itself. The next hearing has been scheduled for July 28, with the ECI required to file its counter‑affidavit by July 21 and petitioners to submit rejoinders before the next appearance.
For Congress and allied parties, the Supreme Court’s observations mark a turning point. Leaders argue that expanding the range of accepted documents would safeguard the electoral rights of millions, including the poor, Dalits, Muslims, and migrant labourers. State-level opposition groups echoed these sentiments, calling the court’s direction “path of inclusion” and urging campaign teams to spotlight voter rights in upcoming rallies.
Some voices outside Bihar have pointed to the court’s order as a necessary corrective, with political leaders from other states—such as West Bengal—calling for similar scrutiny of voter-roll practices. They argue that inclusive documentation is foundational to electoral integrity, especially in regions with significant transient populations.
While the BJP welcomed the Supreme Court’s refusal to stay the exercise, it urged patience, asserting that the ECI has the constitutional mandate to update electoral rolls properly. The Commission’s position remains that it will comply with the court’s guidance while ensuring that ineligible entries are removed systematically.
As attention turns to the July 28 hearing, the discourse is shifting from procedural critique to substantive debate—about transparency, fairness, and the democratic value of every vote. For many voters of Bihar, the court’s suggestion offers hope that documentation hurdles will not stand between them and their right to vote. For the nation, it challenges the ECI to reshape electoral roll practices in a way that prioritizes inclusion without compromising on accuracy.
Photo Credit: The Hindu
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