New Delhi, Oct. 15: The Supreme Court on Thursday issued notice to the Election Commission of India and Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar on petitions filed by Leader of Opposition Rahul Gandhi and several INDIA bloc leaders challenging alleged large-scale voter deletions and irregularities in the Special Intensive Revision of electoral rolls, which began in Bihar on June 25, 2025 and was subsequently extended to 12 States and Union Territories.
A bench comprising Chief Justice Surya Kant and Justice Joymalya Bagchi sought responses from the ECI and the CEC and tagged the petitions with other matters already pending before the court concerning the SIR.
The notice has also been issued to the Election Commissioners Sukhbir Singh BSandhu and Vivek Joshi.
The bench, however, flagged the conduct of one of the petitioners without identifying him. “We would like to ask one of the petitioners about his conduct on the next date of hearing,” the court said, making it clear that issuance of notice did not amount to expressing any view on the merits.
Besides Gandhi, the petitioners include Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge, Samajwadi Party president Akhilesh Yadav, RJD leader Tejashwi Prasad Yadav, TMC leader Saugata Roy, Shiv Sena (UBT) leader Sanjay Raut, CPI(M) general secretary M.A. Baby, CPI leader D. Raja, JMM leader Mahua Majhi, NCP (Sharad Pawar) leader Supriya Sule, IUML leader E.T. Mohammed Basheer, VCK leader Thol. Thirumavalavan and National Conference leader Sajjad Ahmad Kichloo.
The court has also issued notice on petitions filed separately by AIMIM chief Asaduddin Owaisi and Congress leader Digvijaya Singh. Counsel appearing for Owaisi sought production of the ECI’s internal records relating to decisions on the SIR, and the bench said notice would cover the prayers raised.
Gandhi and the other Opposition leaders have sought production of the complete file concerning the ECI’s June 24, 2025 decision to initiate the SIR and judicial scrutiny of whether the process complied with Article 324 of the Constitution, Section 18 of the Chief Election Commissioner and Other Election Commissioners Act, 2023, and the principles governing collective functioning of the Commission.
The petitions seek quashing of decisions allegedly taken without lawful authority and a direction that all SIR-related decisions be taken collectively and properly recorded. They have also sought that online Form 6 conform to the Registration of Electors Rules, 1960 unless those rules are formally amended.
Among other reliefs, the petitioners have sought a committee headed by a retired Supreme Court judge to audit deletions from electoral rolls and examine access to electoral databases, booth-wise publication of names deleted along with reasons and demographic details, and a mechanism for restoration of names.
They have further sought a direction that no voter be deleted without notice and an opportunity of hearing, extension of the period for eligible persons to seek inclusion in poll-bound States, and suspension of the SIR exercise pending adjudication of the petitions.
The petitions followed protests by Opposition leaders over the SIR and the functioning of the Election Commission. The CJI had earlier declined their request for a meeting on the issue, saying that since the matters were pending before the court, they could seek relief on the judicial side.
Pramod kumar is a Senior Journalist, Covering Supreem Court of India
