The Election Commission of India (ECI) has made public the names of 65 lakh voters deleted from Bihar’s draft electoral rolls following a Supreme Court directive. The lists, now uploaded on district magistrates’ websites, include reasons for non-inclusion.

Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar on Sunday said the EC complied with the order within 56 hours.

“Within 56 hours of the top court directive, the names of voters that were not included in the draft electoral roll have been posted on district websites,” Kumar said at a press conference.

The Supreme Court, while hearing petitions against the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls in Bihar, had ordered the EC on August 14 to publish details of the deletions.

The bench of Justice Surya Kant and Justice Joymalya Bagchi said: “It will be displayed on the website of every district electoral officer. The same shall also reveal the reason for non-inclusion in the draft roll.”

The court further instructed that the list must be accessible through Electors Photo Identity Card (EPIC) numbers.

“Wide publicity shall be given in vernacular language newspapers which have maximum circulation and it must be broadcast and telecast on Doordarshan and other channels. The district election officer if they have social media handle shall display the notice there as well,” the bench was quoted as saying by Bar and Bench.

The order added that those whose names were deleted “may submit their claims along with copy of their Aadhaar cards.”

Addressing the press, the CEC defended the SIR process. He explained that the electoral system in India is “a multi-layered, decentralised construct as envisaged by law.”

Electoral Registration Officers (EROs) and Booth Level Officers (BLOs) are tasked with preparing and finalising the rolls, he said.

“Should the EC issue notice to 1.5 lakh voters without declaration under oath by the complainant?” Kumar asked, while pointing out that political parties and individuals have a full month, from August 1 to September 1, to file claims and objections.

Kumar also cautioned against what he described as false campaigns. “It is a matter of grave concern that some parties were spreading ‘misinformation’ on the exercise,” he said.

According to the EC’s affidavit to the court, of the 65 lakh deletions, around 22 lakh were deceased voters, seven lakh were registered in multiple constituencies, and 35 lakh either migrated or could not be traced.

The poll body had earlier argued that the statutory framework does not require it to prepare or publish a separate list of names excluded from the rolls.

But with the Supreme Court’s intervention, the names are now on district websites, panchayat bhawan notice boards, and block development offices, with reasons for deletion specified.

The Opposition, led by the Congress, has accused the EC of mass disenfranchisement.

Rahul Gandhi, who launched the ‘Voter Adhikar Yatra’ from Bihar’s Sasaram on Sunday, said the EC was demanding affidavits from him on his allegations of “vote chori,” while BJP leaders making similar claims were not held to the same standard.