New Delhi: The Congress-led INDIA bloc has moved the Supreme Court seeking an investigation into alleged large-scale voter deletions and irregularities in the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls. The petition seeks an independent audit of voter deletions, greater transparency in the Election Commission’s decision-making, and safeguards to prevent eligible voters from being removed from electoral rolls unlawfully.
The petition was filed on October 12 by Leader of the Opposition in the Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi, Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge and several other opposition leaders. The Supreme Court was expected to consider the plea on Tuesday, but the registry flagged more than 10 defects in the filing.
Other petitioners include Trinamool Congress MP Saugata Roy, Samajwadi Party chief Akhilesh Yadav, Rashtriya Janata Dal leader Tejashwi Prasad Yadav, Nationalist Congress Party (Sharadchandra Pawar) leader Supriya Sule and Shiv Sena (UBT) leader Sanjay Raut.
The Election Commission of India (ECI), Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) Gyanesh Kumar and Election Commissioners Sukhbir Singh Sandhu and Vivek Joshi have been named as respondents.
Filed under Article 32 of the Constitution, the writ petition seeks the Supreme Court’s intervention over what the petitioners describe as the alleged unilateral and arbitrary exercise of the Election Commission’s collective powers by the CEC during the ongoing SIR exercise. It raises concerns about the integrity of the electoral process and the constitutional rights of eligible citizens to register as voters and exercise their franchise.
The petition also cites Punjab, claiming that the draft electoral roll published on August 13, 2026, reflected a reduction of approximately 20.66 lakh names from an electorate of around 2.14 crore recorded in June 2026.
Key demands in the INDIA bloc’s petition are:
The petition seeks the constitution of an independent committee headed by a retired Supreme Court judge, assisted by technical experts and other eminent citizens. The committee would conduct an audit, within a fixed timeframe, of deletions and modifications made during the SIR exercise.
Safeguards against arbitrary voter deletion
The petition asks the court to ensure that no elector is removed from the electoral roll without notice and a reasonable opportunity to be heard, in accordance with the law.
The petition seeks permission for eligible persons in Punjab and other states going to the polls to apply for inclusion in electoral rolls until the last date permitted by law.
The petition asks the Supreme Court to suspend the ongoing SIR across states to protect eligible voters’ rights and preserve the integrity of the electoral process.
The petition seeks directions requiring the ECI to place on record the complete files, agendas, minutes, notings and objections recorded by Election Commissioners concerning each disputed decision related to the SIR. It also seeks the relevant access logs for the ECINET and ERONET electoral roll databases.
The petition asks the Election Commission to produce the complete file recording its decision dated June 24, 2025, to commence the SIR exercise.
The petition seeks scrutiny of whether decisions related to the SIR were taken in accordance with Article 324 of the Constitution, Section 18 of the Chief Election Commissioner and Other Election Commissioners (Appointment, Conditions of Service and Term of Office) Act, 2023, and the law laid down by the Supreme Court.
It also seeks the quashing of decisions allegedly taken without lawful authority.
The petition seeks directions to competent authorities to take appropriate action against those found responsible for breaches of constitutional or statutory provisions governing the preparation and revision of electoral rolls, including under Section 32 of the Representation of the People Act, 1950, wherever warranted.
The petition asks the court to direct the Election Commission to ensure that online Form 6 conforms to the form prescribed under the Registration of Electors Rules, 1960, unless the rules are lawfully amended through the applicable procedure.
The petition seeks publication of booth-wise lists of voters deleted during the SIR, along with the reasons for each deletion.
Mechanism to restore eligible voters’ names
The petition asks for an effective and functional mechanism through which eligible voters whose names have been removed can seek restoration.
The petition seeks an examination of how the ECINET and ERONET electoral roll databases are designed, configured and operated, including their role in the preparation and revision of electoral rolls.
The Opposition moved the plea amid the nationwide protest seeking removal of CEC Gyanesh Kumar after an investigation by The Indian Express exposed irregularities in the poll body.
(This copy is compiled by Ranju Raj)