Bihar SIR: RJD, AIMIM urge Supreme Court to extend Sept 1 claim filing deadline

The Supreme Court will hear on September 1 the RJD and AIMIM’s pleas to extend the deadline for filing claims in Bihar’s special intensive revision of electoral rolls. The exercise, the first since 2003, has reduced registered voters by 66 lakh

New Delhi: The Supreme Court on Friday agreed to hear on September 1 pleas of the RJD and AIMIM seeking extension of the deadline for filing of claims and objections in the special intensive revision of electoral rolls in poll-bound Bihar. The deadline for filing claims and objections is also September 1.

A bench of Justices Surya Kant, Joymalya Bagchi, and Vipul M Pancholi said it will hear the applications of the political parties on Monday after advocate Prashant Bhushan and senior advocate Shoeb Alam, appearing for the Rashtriya Janta Dal (RJD), said that several of them have filed applications for extension of deadlines.

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Advocate Nizam Pasha, appearing for the AIMIM, said time needs to be extended due to large-scale filing of claims and objections. “The number of claims filed is exponentially rising. The deadline needs to be extended,” Alam told the bench.

Pasha submitted that 80,000 claims were filed before the August 22 order, while post the order, 95,000 claims have been filed. “We are requesting that these applications be listed as early as possible,” Pasha said.

The bench asked the petitioners why they did not approach the Election Commission for relief. Bhushan said they have, but the request is not being considered.

On August 22, the top court directed the Election Commission of India (ECI) to allow excluded voters to submit claims through online mode besides making physical submissions in the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) exercise of the electoral roll in poll-bound Bihar.

On August 14, the top court directed the poll panel to publish by August 19 details of the 65 lakh voters excluded from the draft electoral rolls in poll-bound Bihar to enhance “transparency” in the SIR of the voters’ list and allow Aadhaar as an acceptable document for identity proof.

The revision of the voters’ list in Bihar–the first since 2003–has sparked a huge political row. The SIR’s findings have reduced the total number of 7.9 crore registered voters in Bihar, from before the exercise, to 7.24 crore.