Supreme Court Order on SIR in Bihar Poll Has Handed the ECI a Sweeping Mandate
Intensive Struggle Has to be Launched by Democratic Forces for Electoral Reform
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2026-06-04 12:35 UTC
The Supreme Court’s order in connection with petitions against Election Commission’s SIR orders in Bihar states that “the commission is empowered in the exercise of its constitutional mandate to undertake a limited enquiry into citizenship for the purpose of satisfying itself as to eligibility for inclusion in the electoral roll.” This came from a bench comprising Chief Justice of India Surya Kant and Justice Joymalya Bagchi. The apex court held that ECI’s power flows from its constitutional responsibility to maintain accurate electoral rolls and ensure that only eligible persons are entitled to exercise their franchise.