Yogendra Yadav.
Yogendra Yadav Challenges Bihar Voter Roll Revision in Supreme Court: NEW DELHI, July 5, 2025 – In a critical legal challenge ahead of Bihar’s upcoming Assembly elections, prominent psephologist and politician Yogendra Yadav has moved the Supreme Court, filing a Public Interest Litigation (PIL) under Article 32 of the Constitution. The petition directly targets the Election Commission of India’s (ECI) “Special Intensive Revision” (SIR) of electoral rolls, expressing grave apprehension that the process could lead to the large-scale disenfranchisement of voters across the state.
The PIL, filed by Mr. Yadav, seeks an immediate stay on the ongoing SIR, labeling it as “manifestly arbitrary, unreasonable, and violative of electoral laws.” As an interim measure, the petitioner has urged the apex court to halt the revision process, prevent any deletions from the existing electoral rolls last updated in January 2025, and direct the ECI to conduct the forthcoming Bihar elections using these established rolls.
At the heart of the petitioner’s argument is the contention that the current revision process unfairly compels existing voters to re-establish their eligibility. The ECI’s mandate requires voters to submit proof using a narrow list of 11 specified documents, conspicuously excluding widely held and commonly accepted proofs of identity such as Aadhaar cards, ration cards, and MGNREGA (Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act) job cards.
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The petition highlights a critical procedural flaw: failure to submit the required forms by the July 25, 2025, deadline would result in automatic deletion of names. Crucially, this deletion would occur without any opportunity for the affected voters to be heard, a practice the petition asserts is a direct violation of the fundamental principle of natural justice.
The PIL further underscores the disproportionate impact of this revision exercise on vulnerable sections of society. Marginalized groups, including women, Scheduled Caste (SC) and Scheduled Tribe (ST) communities, and migrant workers, are particularly at risk, as many of them lack the specific documents mandated by the ECI. The 90-day verification window, which regrettably overlaps with Bihar’s intense monsoon season, is also heavily criticized as impractical. Media reports from outlets like The Hindu and The Indian Express have already documented widespread confusion among Bihar’s 7.89 crore voters, many of whom do not possess birth certificates, land documents, or other stipulated identity proofs.
Legally, the petition argues that the SIR contravenes Section 22 of the Representation of the People Act, 1950, and Rule 21-A of the Registration of Electors Rules, 1960. Both statutes, the PIL asserts, mandate robust procedural safeguards before any name can be deleted from electoral rolls.
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Furthermore, the petition invokes Articles 14 (equality before law), 15 (prohibition of discrimination), and 326 (right to vote) of the Constitution, contending that the revision process is inherently discriminatory and undermines core democratic rights.
Precedents cited include the Supreme Court’s landmark KS Puttaswamy (2017) judgment on the proportionality standard and the 1995 ruling in Lal Babu Hussein, which affirmed the principle of continuity for existing voters.
The PIL was filed through Advocate-on-Record Yash S Vijay, with the petition drawn by Advocates Harshit Anand and Natasha Maheshwari, and settled by Senior Advocate Shadan Farasat. The Supreme Court’s decision on this matter will undoubtedly have significant implications for the integrity of the electoral process and the democratic participation of millions in Bihar.
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