Leader of the Opposition Rahul Gandhi and ten other INDIA bloc leaders have filed a writ petition before the Supreme Court challenging the Election Commission of India's (ECI) Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls. The petition raises concerns over alleged voter deletions, the decision-making process within the poll body and transparency in the revision exercise.
The other petitioners include Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge, Saugata Roy, Akhilesh Yadav, Tejashwi Prasad Yadav, Sanjay Raut, M.A. Baby, D. Raja, Mahua Majhi, Supriya Sule and E.T. Mohammed Basheer.
The petition names the Election Commission, Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar and Election Commissioners Sukhbir Singh Sandhu and Vivek Joshi as respondents. It was filed through Advocate-on-Record S. Prasanna.
The filing followed a request by Gandhi and Kharge to meet Chief Justice of India Surya Kant and submit a memorandum concerning the SIR exercise and related issues. The CJI declined the meeting, citing the pendency of related matters, while indicating that the leaders could pursue their concerns through judicial proceedings.
The petition seeks production of records relating to the ECI's decisions, including documents concerning the launch of the SIR on June 24, 2025. It also seeks scrutiny of the decision-making process under Article 324 of the Constitution and Section 18 of the Chief Election Commissioner and Other Election Commissioners Act, 2023.
Among other reliefs, the petition requests transparent publication of deleted voters' names with reasons, an opportunity of hearing before deletion, a mechanism to restore eligible voters' names and suspension of the SIR exercise pending adjudication.
The petition has been filed, but no final judicial decision on its merits is established by the reports reviewed.
