Congress Hails SC’s Directive to EC to Publish Omitted 65 lakh voters as “Massive Victory for Democracy”

The Congress Thursday welcomed the Supreme Court’s ruling directing the Election Commission of India to publish details of approximately 65 lakh voters omitted from Bihar’s draft electoral rolls.

In a post shared on handle X, Congress leader K C Venugopal hailed the ruling as a “massive victory for democracy,” saying it sends a strong message to those who tried to distort the electoral process in Bihar.

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“The Hon’ble Supreme Court’s ruling on the Bihar SIR matter is a massive victory for democracy, and a huge message for the Vote Chors who tried to use the SIR to distort the electoral process in Bihar,” Venugopal said. He emphasised that the court’s directive to publish the names of omitted voters would bring much-needed transparency to the SIR process.

The Supreme Court on Thursday directed the Election Commission of India to publish the names of 65 lakh voters excluded from the draft electoral roll, including reasons behind their exclusion.

The apex court also allowed voters whose names have been deleted from the draft voter list to submit their claims with an Aadhaar card.

Hearing a batch of petitions challenging the Special Intensive Revision exercise in Bihar, the top court said, “A list of approximately 65 lakh voters whose names appear in the voter list of 2025 but are not included in the draft list shall be displayed on the website of every district electoral officer (district-wise).”

The court said that the ECI will also ensure voters are made aware of the reasons behind the exclusion.

The commission has also been directed by the court to list it in newspapers and broadcast it on Doordarshan and radio channels. District electoral officers, who have a social media presence, shall also display public notice there.

The Supreme Court’s ruling is being seen as a significant setback for the EC’s efforts to revise electoral rolls without adequate transparency. The court’s decision also rejected the EC’s decision not to accept Aadhaar cards as a valid document for verification, which is seen as a major boost for the poor and marginalised in Bihar who widely hold Aadhaar cards.

Venugopal stated that this ruling is an important first step in the fight against the “draconian and disastrous” SIR process. However, he emphasised that the Congress party’s fight to expose the EC’s malpractices and complicity in vote rigging will continue with renewed vigour.