Court allows Aadhaar, ration cards for voting

EC SEEKS TO CLEAR ELECTORAL LISTS OF 'FOREIGN' ENTRIES

- BY ALEX ABRAHAM

The Supreme Court yesterday observed that commonly used government-issued identity documents — including Aadhaar, ration cards, and even voter IDs — should be considered valid for verifying the identity of voters in Bihar, ahead of the state elections later this year.

The observation came during a high-stakes hearing on the Election Commission’s ongoing special intensive revision (SIR) of the state’s electoral roll — a process that has drawn sharp criticism for allegedly targeting voters registered after 2003.

Exclusionary, say critics

Critics have called the move arbitrary, exclusionary, and potentially disenfranchising for millions. Here's a look at the Bihar election roll controversy.