Kharge Welcomes SC Order on Bihar Voter List Transparency

Congress chief Mallikarjun Kharge has hailed the Supreme Court’s recent directive to the Election Commission of India (ECI) to publicly disclose the list of around 65 lakh voters excluded from the draft electoral rolls in Bihar. The decision marks a significant step toward ensuring transparency in the electoral process. The SC has ordered the ECI to publish the names, along with reasons for deletion, on district electoral officer websites, Panchayat Bhawans, and Block Development offices. The move comes after concerns were raised about the exclusion of voters based on faulty data or inadequate verification. Kharge took to social media to celebrate the decision as a victory for public awareness campaigns led by the Congress Party and Rahul Gandhi. He emphasized that the court’s intervention invalidates the ECI’s earlier stance that Aadhaar could not be used as valid proof for voting in certain cases. The SC has also instructed the ECI to make the voter list searchable using EPIC numbers and ensure widespread publicity through newspapers, Doordarshan, radio, and social media. Affected voters can now file objections by submitting a copy of their Aadhaar card. This interim order follows petitions filed by RJD MP Manoj Jha, the Association for Democratic Reforms (ADR), and others challenging the ECI’s Special Summary Revision (SIR) of Bihar’s electoral rolls. Petitioners argued that requiring additional proof of citizenship beyond Aadhaar or ration cards would disproportionately disenfranchise poor and rural voters. The Supreme Court has scheduled the next hearing for August 22 to review compliance and further examine the legal challenges. The Congress Party has vowed to continue fighting to protect voting rights, framing the court’s decision as a crucial win for democracy. Meanwhile, the ECI must submit a compliance report by Tuesday, detailing the steps taken to implement the court’s directives. The debate over voter inclusion and transparency remains a hot-button issue ahead of upcoming elections, with political leaders and activists keeping a close watch on the ECI’s next moves.