“No Name Will Be Deleted Without Notice And Hearing,” ECI Assures Supreme Court
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The Election Commission told the Supreme Court that no voter’s name will be removed from Bihar’s draft electoral roll without prior notice, a chance to be heard, and a reasoned order. The assurance comes amid challenges to the Special Intensive Revision ahead of state elections.
New Delhi: The Election Commission of India (ECI) has informed the Supreme Court that in Bihar, no voter’s name will be removed from the draft electoral roll without first giving them proper notice, a chance to explain their side, and a clear written order from the responsible authority.
In an additional affidavit filed by Deputy Election Commissioner Sanjay Kumar, the Commission stated:
“No deletion of any elector’s name from the draft electoral roll, published on 1st August 2025, shall be undertaken without (1) issuance of a prior notice to the concerned elector indicating the proposed deletion and the grounds thereof, (ii) affording a reasonable opportunity of being heard and furnishing relevant documents, and (iii) passing of a reasoned and speaking order by the competent authority.”
This affidavit was submitted in response to a petition filed by the NGO Association for Democratic Reforms (ADR), which has raised objections to the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of the voter list ahead of the upcoming Bihar assembly elections.
The ECI explained that these safeguards are supported by a strong two-level appeal system so that every voter has enough legal options if any negative action is taken against them.
It was also stated that the first stage of the Special Intensive Revision in Bihar has been completed. The Draft Electoral Roll was published on August 1, 2025, after
“house-to-house visits undertaken by the Booth Level Officers (BLOs) for the collection of enumeration forms from existing electors.”
According to the Commission,
“the list of such electors… was shared with Booth Level Agents of the recognised political parties by 20th July 2025… so that… appropriate corrective action could be taken and the names included in the draft roll. Subsequently, updated lists were again shared with their representatives for further follow-up.”
The affidavit also listed ten specific steps taken during the process. As per these details, out of 7.89 crore voters in Bihar, more than 7.24 crore submitted their voter information forms with the help of state election staff, volunteers, and political party agents.
The ECI said that newspaper advertisements were published in Hindi in 246 newspapers across the country to reach migrant workers. Strict instructions were issued to make sure that no names are deleted without giving notice and issuing a “speaking order.”
To make things easier for voters, the affidavit mentioned that about 2.5 lakh volunteers, most of them government officers from Bihar, were deployed to help citizens, including in arranging the necessary identity documents.
The Commission also pointed out that it has been releasing daily press statements and bulletins to update the public about claims and objections, and any action on these will be taken only after the notice period ends.
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The Special Intensive Revision, announced on June 24, 2025, is the first such revision in Bihar since 2003. Petitions filed by ADR, PUCL, and other organisations have challenged the process, claiming it violates constitutional provisions and election laws.
Earlier, on July 10, the Supreme Court had refused to stop the revision process but directed the ECI to accept Aadhaar, EPIC (Voter ID), and ration cards as valid identity documents. The matter will be heard again by the Supreme Court on August 12 and 13.
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