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The Supreme Court has upheld the Election Commission’s Special Intensive Revision of electoral rolls in Bihar
May 27, 2026: The Supreme Court on Wednesday upheld the Election Commission’s Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls in Bihar, stating that the exercise was constitutional and within the powers granted to the poll body under the Representation of the People Act, 1950. The bench observed that the petitions challenging the revision process were filed while the SIR exercise was already underway and identified two key issues — whether the Election Commission had the authority to conduct such a revision and whether those powers had been exercised properly.
The court held that Section 21(3) of the RP Act clearly empowers the Election Commission to carry out a Special Intensive Revision of electoral rolls. Rejecting demands to scrap the entire process, the bench said procedural concerns alone could not make the exercise illegal. Stressing the importance of free and fair elections, the court added that the measures adopted during the revision process were necessary and proportionate to the scale of the exercise.
The Supreme Court also dismissed arguments that the process unfairly shifted the burden onto voters to prove eligibility. It stated that even if a person had changed residence, previous records and family details could still help establish voter identity. The bench clarified that while the Election Commission does not determine citizenship, it has the authority to reject doubtful applications and refer suspicious cases to the central government if required. The court finally concluded that the SIR process was consistent with both the Constitution and the RP Act.