The Supreme Court of India has directed the Election Commission of India (ECI) to respond to allegations regarding the deletion of approximately 65 lakh voters from Bihar's draft electoral roll. The court's order came in response to a plea filed by the Association for Democratic Reforms (ADR), an NGO, which raised concerns about the lack of transparency and the potential disenfranchisement of eligible voters.

The ECI released the draft electoral roll for Bihar on August 1, 2025, following a Special Intensive Revision (SIR). While the draft roll listed 7.24 crore voters, it also omitted over 65 lakh names. The ECI attributed these deletions to reasons such as death (22.34 lakh), permanent absence or migration (36.28 lakh), and multiple registrations (7.01 lakh).

ADR, in its application to the Supreme Court, argued that the ECI had failed to provide sufficient details regarding the omitted voters. The NGO contended that the ECI did not disclose the identities of those whose names were removed or specify whether they were deceased or had migrated. ADR also alleged that the list of deleted names provided to political parties lacked crucial information, making it difficult to verify the reasons for deletion on the ground.

Advocate Prashant Bhushan, representing ADR, argued that no comprehensive list of the omitted 65 lakh names was made public. He stated that while the ECI claimed that 32 lakh voters had migrated, it provided no specific details. Bhushan emphasized the need for the ECI to disclose the identities of the 65 lakh individuals, specifying who were deceased, who had migrated, and whether Booth Level Officers (BLOs) had recommended the deletions.

The ECI's counsel refuted the allegations, asserting that lists were shared with political party representatives before the draft roll's publication and dismissed Bhushan's claims as "incorrect". However, the Supreme Court bench, comprising Justices Surya Kant, Ujjal Bhuyan, and N Kotiswar Singh, insisted that these claims be placed on record. The court directed the ECI to file a comprehensive reply by August 9, detailing the basis for the deletion of the 65 lakh names, the classification of voters as deceased or migrated, and whether BLO recommendations were followed. The court also asked the ECI to name the political parties to whom the draft roll was shared, so that ADR could obtain information from those authorized representatives.

The Supreme Court's intervention underscores the importance of ensuring transparency and accuracy in electoral rolls. The court has scheduled further hearings on the petitions challenging the SIR for August 12 and 13. These hearings will be crucial in determining whether the ECI's revision process adhered to established guidelines and whether the deletion of 65 lakh voters was justified and conducted in a fair and transparent manner. The final electoral roll is expected to be published on September 30, 2025.