SC Hears 13 Petitions Challenging ECI's Voter Roll Revision
The Supreme Court examines 13 petitions by Rahul Gandhi and others challenging the ECI's Special Intensive Revision of voter rolls.
The Supreme Court of India is currently presiding over a critical legal battle regarding the Supreme Court SIR process, as it hears 13 petitions challenging the Election Commission of India's (ECI) Special Intensive Revision of voter rolls. The petitions, filed by prominent opposition figures including Rahul Gandhi and Asaduddin Ovaisi, seek to halt the revision process and demand transparency over the removal of millions of voters.
The Core of the Dispute
The legal challenge centers on the ECI's Special Intensive Revision (SIR) process. The petitioners are requesting several key interventions from the court:
- An immediate stay on the SIR process.
- An independent audit to investigate the deletion of voter names.
- The public disclosure of booth-wise lists to ensure transparency.
The matter first came before the court on October 15, 2026, leading the Supreme Court to issue notices to the Chief Election Commissioner, Gyanesh Kumar, and Election Commissioners Sukhbir Singh Sandhu and Vivek Joshi. The court has ordered that these petitions be clubbed with existing cases related to the revision process.
Allegations of Mass Deletions
Representing petitioner Arun Anandgiri, advocate Arvind P. Datta presented a startling claim before the bench. He argued that "logical anomalies" led to the removal of approximately 1.22 crore individuals from the draft voter rolls. According to the petitioner, this constitutes roughly 33 percent of the 9 crore voters involved, raising serious concerns about the integrity of the electoral rolls.
The Election Commission's Defense
In a comprehensive affidavit submitted on October 26, 2026, the Election Commission of India firmly denied the allegations of irregularities. The ECI emphasized the following points:
- Unanimous Decisions: All three SIR orders issued between June 2025 and May 2026 were the result of unanimous decisions within the Commission.
- Expert Oversight: A committee consisting of experts from the Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) and the Indian Institute of Science (IISc) has been formed to ensure all procedural compliances are met.
- Administrative Clarity: The ECI clarified that Form 6 remains under the jurisdiction of the Central Government. To resolve existing confusion, the Commission announced that as of October 21, 2026, Form 6 and the SIR declaration are now displayed as separate sections.
- Ease of Process: To minimize hardship, Booth Level Officers (BLO) will visit voters' residences to collect necessary documents, meaning personal hearings will only be required in exceptional circumstances.
Legal Standpoints and Judicial Remarks
The ECI has also challenged the maintainability of petitions that seek to restrain Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar from carrying out his official duties, arguing that such requests are legally unsustainable.
During the proceedings, the Chief Justice of India provided a point of reassurance, orally remarking that no legal action would be initiated against individuals for the act of filling out Form 6.