The Election Commission has informed the Supreme Court that it holds the exclusive power to determine the timing and method for special intensive revisions of electoral rolls. This statement was made in a counter-affidavit responding to a petition from Bharatiya Janata Party leader Ashwini Kumar Upadhyay.

The Commission argued that any judicial order mandating revisions at specific intervals would infringe upon its constitutional authority.

In its filing, the Commission referenced Article 324 of the Constitution, which grants it oversight and control over elections and electoral rolls, describing this authority as fundamental to its operations.

It also pointed to Section 21 of the Representation of the People Act, 1950, and Rule 25 of the Registration of Electors Rules, 1960, which, while requiring revisions before elections, do not impose strict timelines or types of revisions, thus allowing the Commission discretion.

The Election Commission emphasized its commitment to maintaining the integrity of electoral rolls and announced that preparations for a nationwide special intensive revision would commence, using January 1, 2026, as the qualifying date.

On July 5, letters were dispatched to chief electoral officers across states and Union Territories to initiate preparatory measures, and a meeting was convened in New Delhi to coordinate these efforts.

This affidavit follows a recent Supreme Court directive instructing the Election Commission to accept Aadhaar cards as valid identification for the ongoing special intensive revision of voter rolls in Bihar.

The revision process in Bihar was initiated by the Election Commission on June 24, requiring individuals not listed in the 2003 voter list to provide proof of eligibility.

Voters born before July 1, 1987, must present evidence of their date and place of birth, while those born between July 1, 1987, and December 2, 2004, need to submit documentation proving the birth details of one parent.

For individuals born after December 2, 2004, proof of their own date of birth and that of both parents is required.

The deadline for submitting claims and objections regarding the draft rolls is September 1, with the final list set to be published on September 30.

Concerns have emerged regarding the potential disenfranchisement of voters during this process. However, the Election Commission has defended the revision as a necessary measure to eliminate deceased individuals, duplicate entries, and undocumented migrants from the electoral lists ahead of the upcoming elections in October-November.

The draft electoral roll released on August 1 indicated that 65.6 lakh names had been removed from the list.