Publish list of 65 lakh deleted voter names with reasons: SC to EC

New Delhi (TIP) – The Supreme Court, in an interim order, has directed the Election Commission of India to make available online a searchable list of approximately 65 lakh voter names omitted from the draft electoral roll for Bihar with reasons for deletion such as death, migration, duplication etc.
“Since this action can have some civil consequences of depriving a citizen or a person of the right to franchise, a fair procedure is required,” Justice Surya Kant, heading the bench also comprising Justice Joymalya Bagchi, observed.
The EC agreed to publish the list of approximately 65 lakh voters whose names appear in the voter list of 2025 but are not included in the draft list following the Special Intensive Revision exercise in Bihar.
The bench said the list of deletions be made searchable and directed the EC to give wide publicity on its website. It asked the EC to file a status report by August 19 and said it would monitor the issue again on August 22, the next date of hearing.
Senior Advocate Rakesh Dwivedi, appearing for the EC, said the list, which has already been provided to Booth Level Agents of political parties, will now also be uploaded online with details as directed by the Supreme Court. He said the details regarding a voter can be found by searching it with the Electoral Photo Identity Card (EPIC) number.
The bench directed that the list be displayed on the website of every District Electoral Officer as well the Chief Electoral Officer of the state. The information will be booth-wise and can be accessed by referring to the EPIC number of the voter. The list will also disclose the reason for exclusion from the draft roll.
In addition, booth-wise lists of the excluded voters with reasons shall also be displayed on notice boards by each booth-level officer in respective panchayat bhavans/ block development offices, so as to enable the public to have access to them, the bench said.
It asked the EC to give wide publicity to the exercise through public notices in vernacular and English dailies with maximum circulation in Bihar, and be broadcast on Doordarshan and All India Radio. If the District Electoral Officer has a social media handle, the list will be displayed on it as well, the bench said.
It said the public notice must expressly mention that persons who do not have their names in the draft roll may submit their claims for inclusion in the final list along with their Aadhaar cards.