Bihar SIR row: SC to hear pleas seeking extension of claim submission deadline tomorrow

New Delhi, Aug 31 (IANS) The Supreme Court is slated to hear on Monday a clutch of applications seeking an extension of the September 1 deadline for filing claims and objections to the draft electoral rolls published by the Election Commission of India (ECI) following the first phase of the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) in Bihar.

As per the causelist published on the website of the apex court, a bench of Justices Surya Kant and Joymalya Bagchi will take up for hearing on September 1 the pleas filed by the Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) and other political parties seeking an extension of the poll body’s deadline for submitting the claim form.

On Friday, the Justice Surya Kant-led Bench agreed to list the applications filed in the batch of pleas challenging the SIR exercise after advocate Prashant Bhushan mentioned the matter.

According to the ECI, the draft rolls, published on August 1, are undergoing scrutiny through claims and objections filed by political parties, electors, and Booth Level Agents (BLAs).

The poll body reported receiving 33,326 claims for inclusion and 2,07,565 objections for exclusion, of which 38,342 have already been disposed of.

Over 15.32 lakh new electors aged 18 or above have submitted Form-6 applications, with 81,073 cases disposed of within seven days, it added.

The ECI reiterated that claims and objections must be filed before September 1, with proper documentation, including Aadhaar. It clarified that eligible electors left out of the draft roll may apply through Form 6, while objections to ineligible names must be submitted in Form 7.

BLAs of recognised political parties are also empowered to file these on behalf of voters with prescribed declarations. The SIR, launched on June 24, aims to ensure accuracy and purity in electoral rolls.

“Pure electoral rolls strengthen democracy,” the Commission underlined in its advisory, highlighting that the voter list is prepared strictly in accordance with the law. Final electoral rolls, after disposal of claims and objections, will be made available publicly and on the CEO, Bihar website.

–IANS

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