NEW DELHI: NEW DELHI: The Supreme Court on Monday asked the Bihar legal services authority to deploy para-legal volunteers to help voters and political parties file claims and objections in the state’s Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls. The volunteers have been asked to submit confidential reports to district judges, which will be reviewed on September 8.
A bench of Justices Surya Kant and Joymalya Bagchi said confusion around the SIR exercise was “largely a trust issue” and urged political parties to “activate” themselves in the process.
During the hearing, the Election Commission of India told the court that while the September 1 deadline for filing claims and objections had formally ended, such applications could still be submitted beyond the date.
However, the EC clarified that these would only be considered after the electoral roll was finalised and could be filed until the last date of nomination in each assembly constituency.
Senior advocate Rakesh Dwivedi, appearing for the EC, said, “Any extension of deadline will lead to disruption of the entire exercise and finalisation of final electoral roll.” He also informed the bench that 99.5 per cent of the 2.74 crore electors had already submitted their eligibility documents. Notices would be issued within seven days to those with incomplete paperwork, the EC said, terming the revision a “continuing exercise.”
The EC rejected Rashtriya Janata Dal’s (RJD) claim that it had filed 36 objections, saying only 10 such claims had been received and all were “duly accepted.” It added that most claims and objections filed by political parties were for exclusion rather than inclusion of names in the draft roll, which was published on August 1.
The proceedings were initiated on a petition by RJD MP Manoj Jha, who said the SIR was “hasty and ill-timed” and risked disenfranchising crores of voters. He argued that the requirement of 11 documents to prove citizenship left out widely used papers such as Aadhaar, MNREGA job cards, and ration cards, creating hurdles for Bihar’s rural and poor electorate.
RJD and AIMIM had sought an extension of the deadline for claims and objections in the poll revision exercise ahead of elections in Bihar.
A bench of Justices Surya Kant and Joymalya Bagchi said confusion around the SIR exercise was “largely a trust issue” and urged political parties to “activate” themselves in the process.
During the hearing, the Election Commission of India told the court that while the September 1 deadline for filing claims and objections had formally ended, such applications could still be submitted beyond the date.
However, the EC clarified that these would only be considered after the electoral roll was finalised and could be filed until the last date of nomination in each assembly constituency.
Senior advocate Rakesh Dwivedi, appearing for the EC, said, “Any extension of deadline will lead to disruption of the entire exercise and finalisation of final electoral roll.” He also informed the bench that 99.5 per cent of the 2.74 crore electors had already submitted their eligibility documents. Notices would be issued within seven days to those with incomplete paperwork, the EC said, terming the revision a “continuing exercise.”
The EC rejected Rashtriya Janata Dal’s (RJD) claim that it had filed 36 objections, saying only 10 such claims had been received and all were “duly accepted.” It added that most claims and objections filed by political parties were for exclusion rather than inclusion of names in the draft roll, which was published on August 1.
The proceedings were initiated on a petition by RJD MP Manoj Jha, who said the SIR was “hasty and ill-timed” and risked disenfranchising crores of voters. He argued that the requirement of 11 documents to prove citizenship left out widely used papers such as Aadhaar, MNREGA job cards, and ration cards, creating hurdles for Bihar’s rural and poor electorate.
RJD and AIMIM had sought an extension of the deadline for claims and objections in the poll revision exercise ahead of elections in Bihar.
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