Poll body tells Supreme Court it has uploaded booth-wise lists with reasons for deletions ahead of November elections
New Delhi | August 22, 2025 — The Election Commission of India (ECI) has submitted before the Supreme Court that it has complied with directions regarding transparency in the revision of Bihar’s electoral rolls. The poll body confirmed that the names of nearly 65 lakh voters excluded from the draft electoral rolls have been published on official websites, along with detailed reasons for their non-inclusion.
The affidavit was filed ahead of a hearing before a bench led by Justice Surya Kant, which is examining petitions alleging large-scale deletions of electors during the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) exercise carried out in Bihar earlier this year. Assembly elections in the state are scheduled for November 2025, making the issue particularly sensitive.
According to the affidavit, the ECI stated that booth-wise lists of all excluded voters have been uploaded on the websites of all 38 District Election Officers (DEOs) in Bihar. These lists, it said, clearly mention whether a name was deleted due to death, change of ordinary residence, or duplication in the rolls. “In addition to online publication, physical copies have been displayed at Panchayat Bhavans, Block Development Offices, and Panchayat Offices across the state,” the Commission added.
The poll body also said that Booth Level Officers (BLOs) and Booth Level Agents (BLAs) are in possession of these records, enabling citizens to verify details locally and inquire about the reasons for exclusion. Residents have been given the right to file claims, objections, or correction requests through the procedure laid down under the SIR Order dated June 24, 2025.
To ensure wider awareness, the ECI noted that public notices have been issued through newspapers with significant circulation in Bihar, and information campaigns have also been carried out via radio, electronic media, and social media platforms managed by the DEOs. The notices clearly inform voters that they may file claims by submitting relevant documents, including Aadhaar, for verification.
The issue gained national attention when, on August 14, the Supreme Court directed the Election Commission to make public the details of all deletions in Bihar. The Court stressed that transparency was crucial to maintain confidence in the electoral process and to ensure that no eligible voter is deprived of their right to vote.
Bihar, with its crucial political landscape and upcoming high-stakes elections, has already seen the Opposition raising concerns over what it calls “vote theft” through mass deletions. The publication of the lists is expected to trigger a wave of claims and objections from affected citizens in the coming weeks.
The ECI has maintained that the deletions were carried out strictly in line with prescribed procedures and based on verifiable grounds such as migration, death, or duplication of entries. However, the Commission also assured the Court that genuine voters who were left out will have sufficient opportunity to restore their names before the final rolls are published.
With the Bihar Assembly polls just months away, today’s hearing in the Supreme Court will be closely watched. The outcome could shape both the electoral process in the state and the broader debate on transparency in voter list management across India.
