Supreme Court Scrutinizes Election Commission's Revision in Bihar

The Supreme Court has begun addressing a series of pleas contesting the Election Commission's decision to undertake a special intensive revision of electoral rolls in the election-ready state of Bihar. The concerns revolve around potential irregularities, including the erroneous categorization of voters as either alive or deceased.

A bench comprising Justices Surya Kant and Joymalya Bagchi listened to arguments led by senior advocate Kapil Sibal on behalf of RJD leader Manoj Jha, who pointed out inconsistencies within the voter lists. Meanwhile, the poll panel's representative, advocate Rakesh Dwivedi, acknowledged some flaws but emphasized these could be corrected within draft iterations.

The court directed the Election Commission to provide comprehensive data, emphasizing readiness to intervene if significant voter exclusions are detected. The revision process, which began with a draft roll on August 1, is under scrutiny with the final roll expected on September 30. Critics argue the procedure might disenfranchise millions of eligible voters.

(With inputs from agencies.)