September 15, 2025

The Supreme Court has spices up the election drama by setting a packed day for October 7! That’s when it will deliver the final verdict on petitions against the Election Commission of India's (ECI) Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls in poll-bound Bihar. No quick bits or scattered rulings this time — the court said clearly, "Can't give piecemeal opinion on Bihar SIR, final verdict will be applicable for pan-India SIR." The judges also trust the ECI is playing by the rules, saying, "We presume ECI, a constitutional authority, following law and mandatory rules in Bihar SIR exercise." But if the court spots any illegality in ECI’s methods during the Bihar SIR process, the whole exercise will be tossed out! Tamil Nadu’s political excitement has got a new twist. Remember how Aadhaar card was a hot topic earlier? The court said Aadhaar can be accepted as one extra identity document among the 12 allowed, but warned it’s not proof of citizenship. The poll panel must ensure the Aadhaar is genuine. "No one wants illegal immigrants on the electoral roll," the Supreme Court stressed, wanting only true citizens listed and fake papers tossed. The court also asked why some officials got show-cause notices for refusing to accept Aadhaar cards! Senior advocate Rakesh Dwivedi, arguing for the ECI, highlighted that 99.6% of Bihar’s 7.24 crore voters already have valid documents. So, adding Aadhaar is mostly a backup plan and shouldn’t change much practically. What about voters wanting to correct or challenge the list? Though the official deadline for claims and objections was September 1, the court has given voters and parties a lifeline — they can still file claims till nomination deadlines in their areas! To sweeten this, the Bihar State Legal Services Authority will send paralegal volunteers to help voters with their applications, making the whole thing more accessible and transparent. Numbers say a lot: Between the Supreme Court's interim order on August 22 and the September 1 cutoff, over 22,700 claims for inclusion were filed and nearly 1,35,000 objections for exclusion were received. And mark your calendars — the polished final electoral roll will be out on September 30. All eyes will be on October 7 when the Supreme Court promises a knockout verdict that will ripple across India's election game!

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Tags: Supreme court, Election commission of india, Bihar special intensive revision, Electoral rolls, Aadhaar, Voter identity,