Bihar SIR: Apex Court Allows Excluded Voters to Submit Claims with Aadhaar, Other 11 Prescribed Documents

PTI, New Delhi, Aug 22, 2025 : The Supreme Court on Friday directed the Election Commission of India (ECI) to allow excluded voters to submit claims through online mode, besides making physical submissions, in the special intensive revision (SIR) exercise of the electoral roll in poll-bound Bihar.

A bench of Justices Surya Kant and Joymalya Bagchi allowed claim forms to be submitted along with an Aadhaar card number and any one of the 11 acceptable documents in the SIR.

Expressing surprise over political parties not coming forward in filing objections related to 65 lakh excluded voters, the apex court directed the Chief Electoral Officer of Bihar to implead them in the court proceedings.

"All the political parties shall file the status report by the next date of hearing on the claim form they had facilitated in filing by excluded voters," the bench said, as it posted the matter for September 8.

The bench directed election officials to furnish an acknowledgement receipt to the booth-level agents of political parties who submit the claim forms of excluded voters physically.

Senior advocate Rakesh Dwivedi, appearing for the poll panel, urged the court to give the ECI a 15-day window to show that there was no exclusion.

"The political parties are making hue and cry and things are not bad. Repose faith in us and give us some more time. We will be able to show you there are no exclusions," Dwivedi said.