Election Commission of India (ECI) has robustly defended its Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls as "flawless and accurate," accusing opposition political parties and NGOs of peddling "baseless lies" to sabotage the process for petty electoral gains. Filing a detailed affidavit in the Supreme Court on Thursday, the poll body dismissed petitions challenging the June 24 SIR decision, asserting that zero appeals from deleted voters prove the exercise's integrity amid upcoming assembly elections.

The affidavit's revelations come as Bihar gears up for high-voltage polls in two phases on November 6 and 11, with votes counted on November 14. A bench comprising Justices Surya Kant and Joymalya Bagchi, noting the absence of political party representatives busy with rallies, urged the ECI to proactively fix any typographical glitches or errors in the final rolls as a "responsible authority." The court postponed deeper legal scrutiny to November 4, expressing full faith in the Commission's ability to ensure seamless elections, while highlighting the freezing of rolls on October 17 and 20 for respective phases.

Diving into the numbers, the ECI highlighted that the final electoral roll, published on September 30, stands at 7.42 crore voters – a drop of 47 lakh from pre-SIR figures of 7.89 crore but a net addition of 17.87 lakh from the August 1 draft's 7.24 crore. This involved adding 21.53 lakh fresh electors while axing 3.66 lakh names post-objections, primarily due to deaths, permanent shifts, duplicates, or multiple entries. "Not one voter has appealed deletions since final publication, underscoring the SIR's precision," the affidavit boasted, countering claims of mass disenfranchisement.

Also Read: Bihar Voters Can Now Use 12 ID Cards Instead of EPIC

The poll panel pulled no punches against petitioners like the Association for Democratic Reforms (ADR) and activist Yogendra Yadav, labeling their allegations of "disproportionate Muslim exclusions" (citing 25% in the 65 lakh draft cuts and 34% in final deletions) as a "communal smear campaign" based on dubious name-recognition software. "Our database doesn't track religion – this is a deplorable attempt to communalize a neutral process. The 65 lakh were legitimately removed for failing to submit forms confirming eligibility," the ECI retorted, explaining the SIR's door-to-door (H2H) verification involving over 90,000 Booth Level Officers (BLOs) making multiple visits, with data transparently uploaded online.

Further slamming the critics' "ulterior motives," the Commission noted political parties' minimal engagement beyond appointing Booth Level Agents (BLAs). "They accuse us of errors but contributed nothing substantial. We even roped in State Legal Services Authorities, yet objections were negligible – proof of accuracy," it stated. The ECI justified the SIR after a 22-year gap (last in 2003), pointing out that pre-2022 rolls inflated voter numbers beyond projected population, necessitating cleanup to prevent bogus voting.

Addressing logistical gripes, the affidavit debunked notions of haste, illiteracy hurdles, or flood disruptions in Bihar causing exclusions. "Claims are misconceived; we provided ample time, multiple verification rounds, and document flexibility. High illiteracy? Our BLOs assisted personally. Floods? Operations adapted with digital tools and extensions where needed," it detailed, emphasizing how the exercise aligned with Supreme Court guidelines for purity of rolls.

During arguments, advocate Prashant Bhushan for the NGOs pushed for full disclosure on deletions to boost transparency, prompting the bench to recall its October 7 order seeking clarity on the 3.66 lakh exclusions amid "confusion." Previously, on September 30, the EC had explained the draft's 65 lakh cuts were provisional, refined through public claims and objections.

As tensions escalate, experts see this SC tussle as a litmus test for electoral fairness in Bihar, where alliances like NDA and Mahagathbandhan battle fiercely. The ECI's staunch defense, backed by data analytics and ground reports, aims to quash doubts, but petitioners vow to press on, alleging systemic bias targeting marginalized groups. With rolls finalizing soon, any tweaks could sway marginal seats – watchers say the Commission's tech-driven approach, including AI for duplicate detection, sets a national precedent. In the end, as Justice Kant remarked, smooth polls are paramount, but the saga underscores the razor-thin trust in India's democratic machinery amid poll-season mudslinging.

Also Read: PM Modi's Secret Voter Wipeout? Congress Claims 23 Lakh Bihar Women Deleted