The Supreme Court of India is scheduled to hear a significant plea filed by Congress leader Rahul Gandhi and several other prominent Opposition figures. The petition alleges widespread voter deletions and irregularities during the ongoing Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls across the country.
Petition Demands Independent Audit and Safeguards
The core of the Opposition's petition seeks a comprehensive, independent audit of all deletions and modifications made during the SIR process. It calls for the establishment of an independent committee, to be headed by a retired Supreme Court judge and supported by technical experts and eminent citizens, to conduct this audit within a specified timeframe.
Crucially, the plea also demands robust safeguards to ensure no elector is removed from the electoral rolls without proper notice and a fair opportunity to be heard, in strict accordance with the law. Furthermore, it seeks an interim suspension of the entire revision exercise across all states, arguing that this is necessary to protect the rights of eligible voters and maintain the integrity of the electoral process.
The petitioners are also pushing for directions to allow eligible individuals in Punjab and other poll-bound states to apply for inclusion in the electoral rolls until the last date permitted by law.
Key Petitioners and Respondents Named
Beyond Rahul Gandhi, the co-petitioners include a broad spectrum of Opposition leaders:
- Mallikarjun Kharge (Congress President and LoP, Rajya Sabha)
- Saugata Roy (TMC MP)
- Akhilesh Yadav (Samajwadi Party Chief)
- Tejashwi Prasad Yadav (Rashtriya Janata Dal leader)
- Supriya Sule (Nationalist Congress Party - Sharad Pawar faction leader)
- Sanjay Raut (Shiv Sena-UBT leader)
- D Raja (Communist Party of India leader)
The petition names the Election Commission of India (ECI), Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar, and Election Commissioners Sukhbir Singh Sandhu and Vivek Joshi as parties in the case.
Demands for Transparency and EC Records
To ensure transparency, the plea requests the Supreme Court to direct the Election Commission to submit complete files, including agendas, minutes, notings, and any objections recorded by the Election Commissioners concerning the "disputed decisions" related to the SIR. It also seeks access to relevant ECINET (Election Commission Information Network) and ERONET (Electoral Roll Officers' Network) access logs, along with files detailing the June 24, 2025, decision to initiate the SIR exercise nationwide.
The petition aims to examine whether these disputed decisions were made in compliance with Article 324 of the Constitution, which vests the superintendence, direction, and control of electoral roll preparation and election conduct in the ECI, as well as Section 18 of the Chief Election Commissioner and Other Election Commissioners (Appointment, Conditions of Service and Term of Office) Act, 2023, and established Supreme Court law.
Additionally, the petitioners have called for booth-wise publication of all deleted electors' names during the SIR, specifying the reasons for each deletion and providing a breakdown by gender and age. They also seek an effective mechanism to facilitate the restoration of names for eligible voters.
Related Hearings Also Scheduled
Separately, the Supreme Court bench is also slated to hear other petitions concerning protests, Metro station closures, and disruptions to train services. These disruptions occurred ahead of an October 10 agitation in Delhi, which was organized against Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar.