Supreme Court says Bihar voter list dispute stems from 'trust deficit', not deadlines

The Supreme Court on Monday, September 1 observed that the controversy surrounding Bihar’s draft electoral rolls was less about deadlines and more about trust in the process.

A bench of Justices Surya Kant and Joymalya Bagchi was hearing pleas from state officials who sought an extension beyond September 1 to file claims and objections to the draft voter list. The court, however, noted that the urgency projected was not entirely convincing.

The Election Commission of India (ECI) informed the bench that the revision process does not conclude with the finalization of the draft rolls. Citizens and political parties can continue to submit claims, objections, and corrections until the last date for filing nominations. Still, the judges acknowledged that mistrust persists among stakeholders.

The court underlined that filing objections is merely the starting point in the revision process and pointed out that the petitions had not cited specific instances of wrongful deletions or exclusions. Instead, the bench urged political parties to actively participate in monitoring and assisting the process rather than relying solely on litigation.

Reaffirming that the correction window remains open beyond September 1, the bench directed petitioners to respond to the ECI’s note with affidavits. To bolster public confidence, the court instructed the Bihar Legal Services Authority to deploy paralegal volunteers in every district by the afternoon of September 2. Their names and phone numbers are to be made publicly available so that citizens and political representatives can seek assistance in filing claims online.