‘No Deletion Without Notice’: Election Commission To Supreme Court Over Bihar Voter List Row

New Delhi: The Election Commission of India (ECI) has assured the Supreme Court that no voter’s name in poll-bound Bihar will be deleted from the draft electoral roll without prior notice, a chance to respond, and a formal order.

The assurance came in a fresh affidavit responding to a plea by the Association for Democratic Reforms (ADR) over the removal of nearly 65 lakh names.

Prior Notice and Hearing for Every Deletion

In its affidavit, the ECI said, “As a matter of policy and in strict adherence to the principles of natural justice, no deletion… shall be undertaken without issuance of a prior notice to the concerned elector… affording a reasonable opportunity of being heard… and passing of a reasoned and speaking order by the competent authority.”

The Commission stressed that every possible measure had been taken to ensure no eligible voter was left out. It added that even voters lacking documents would be assisted in obtaining them. Of Bihar’s 7.89 crore electors, more than 7.24 crore had already submitted their enumeration forms, the poll body said.

Political Parties Given Draft Rolls, Public Access Online

The ECI highlighted that both printed and digital versions of the draft roll, published on August 1, had been shared with political parties, while the public could access it online during the scrutiny period from August 1 to September 1.

A two-tier appeal system, it said, ensured voters had adequate recourse against any adverse action. Alongside, the Commission outlined a broad plan to boost voter participation, including large-scale awareness drives, multiple visits by Booth Level Officers (BLOs) to local communities, and targeted outreach programmes.

The ECI also clarified that under existing rules, it was not required to publish a separate list of those whose names had been removed from the draft voter list.