NEW DELHI: As deadline for the submission of the counter affidavit draws near and the Supreme Court gears up for its final hearing on July 28, all eyes are fixed on the apex court’s response to the unfolding controversy surrounding the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls in Bihar. The case has now snowballed into a high-stakes legal and political battle, with allegations of large-scale voter list manipulation triggering nationwide outrage.
The Election Commission of India (ECI), which has defended the SIR as a routine administrative exercise aimed at cleansing the voters’ list—removing duplicates, identifying deceased voters, and adding eligible new names—is now under the scanner. What was initially portrayed as a bureaucratic clean-up is now mired in serious allegations of fraud, forgery, and politically motivated interference.
The controversy gained momentum after senior journalist Ajit Anjum released explosive video footage from Patna’s Phulwari Sharif subdivision. The visuals showed a room full of Booth Level Officers (BLOs) allegedly forging signatures of voters on Form 6, 7, and 8—used for inclusion, deletion, or correction of voter information. These on-camera revelations, described by Anjum as “red-handed proof,” have become a key piece of evidence that petitioners intend to present before the court.
Multiple petitions have already been filed in the Supreme Court seeking immediate intervention and cancellation of the ongoing SIR. Petitioners argue that the process violates constitutional guarantees and undermines the very integrity of democratic elections. The scandal has intensified after reports that millions of voter forms are being filled out by BLOs without the knowledge or consent of the actual voters, raising fears of disenfranchisement on a massive scale.
Meanwhile, the issue has become a rallying point for opposition parties. With the monsoon session of Parliament set to begin on July 21, the INDIA alliance, led by Leader of Opposition Rahul Gandhi, is expected to corner the government and the ECI. In a recent public statement, Gandhi slammed the Commission, calling it a “subsidiary of the BJP” and accusing it of facilitating electoral engineering in Bihar, where assembly elections are scheduled in just three months.
Sources within the INDIA bloc suggest that opposition MPs will raise the issue forcefully in both Houses, demanding accountability and pressing for a parliamentary debate on electoral integrity.
The silence of the ECI amid mounting evidence and public outrage has only deepened concerns. If the Supreme Court finds merit in the allegations and calls for an immediate halt or review of the SIR, it could set a historic precedent. However, if it chooses not to intervene, it risks facing criticism for allowing the undermining of free and fair elections—one of the fundamental pillars of India’s democracy.
As July 28 approaches, the nation awaits a landmark decision—will the Supreme Court uphold electoral justice, or will it, too, turn a blind eye?
{Writer is a Senior Journalist and Political Commentator}
