New Delhi: The Supreme Court is likely to hear on Thursday a petition filed by Rahul Gandhi and 12 other INDIA bloc leaders challenging the Election Commission of India's (ECI) handling of the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) exercise.
The petition, registered as W.P.(C) No. 001351/2026, was filed on October 12 and registered by the Supreme Court Registry on October 13 after initial procedural defects were addressed.
The legal challenge comes days after Rahul Gandhi and other opposition leaders led a 'March for Democracy' towards the Supreme Court, raising concerns over the electoral roll revision exercise.
The petitioners include Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge, Samajwadi Party (SP) chief Akhilesh Yadav, Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) leader Tejashwi Prasad Yadav, Nationalist Congress Party [(NCP) (SP)] leader Supriya Sule and Shiv Sena (UBT) leader Sanjay Raut, among others.
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The plea filed by INDIA bloc leaders
The plea has sought the constitution of an independent committee headed by a retired apex court judge, and assisted by technical experts and other citizens of eminence, to conduct within a fixed time an independent audit of deletions and modifications made during the SIR.
It also sought a direction to ensure that no elector is deleted from the electoral roll without notice and a reasonable opportunity of hearing in accordance with law, and also to ensure that eligible persons in Punjab and other states going to polls are permitted to seek inclusion in the electoral rolls until the last date permitted by law.
"Issue an interim direction suspending the ongoing Special Intensive Revision of electoral rolls across the states of the Union, pending consideration and adjudication of the issues raised in the present petition, in the interests of protecting the rights of eligible electors and preserving the integrity of the electoral process," the plea said.
The petition has sought direction to the poll panel to place on record the complete files, agendas, minutes, notings and objections recorded by the Election Commissioners in respect of each of the "disputed decisions" relating to the SIR of electoral rolls, together with the relevant ECINET and ERONET access logs and the complete file recording the decision dated June 24, 2025 to commence the SIR exercise across the country.
It has sought a direction to examine whether the disputed decisions relating to the SIR were taken in compliance 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 declared by the apex court.
Article 324 of the Constitution vests the superintendence, direction and control of the preparation of electoral rolls and the conduct of elections in the EC.
The plea said if any of the decisions have been taken without lawful authority, the same be quashed.
"Issue an appropriate writ, order or direction directing the competent authorities to take appropriate action against the persons responsible for any breach of the 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," it said.
The plea sought a direction to the EC to ensure that online Form 6 conforms to the form prescribed under the Registration of Electors Rules, 1960, unless and until the said Rules are lawfully amended in accordance with the applicable procedure.
It also sought a direction for publishing, booth-wise, the names of all electors deleted during the SIR, together with the reasons for each deletion and a breakdown of deletions by gender and age, and to provide an effective and functional mechanism for restoring the names of electors found eligible for inclusion in the electoral rolls.
"The present writ petition is being filed under Article 32 of the Constitution of India, seeking the intervention of this court in relation to the alleged unilateral and arbitrary exercise of the collective powers of the Election Commission of India by the Chief Election Commissioner during the ongoing SIR of electoral rolls; the consequent concerns regarding the integrity of the electoral process; and the infringement of the constitutional right of eligible citizens to be registered as voters and to exercise their right to vote," it said.
The plea said the petitioners further seek examination of the manner in which the ECINET and ERONET electoral roll databases are designed, configured and operated.
"The urgency of the present petition is demonstrated by the developments in Punjab, where the draft electoral roll published on August 13, 2026 reportedly reflected a reduction of approximately 20.66 lakh names from the electorate of about 2.14 crore recorded in June 2026," it said.
(With inputs from ANI & PTI)
