New Delhi: The Supreme Court on Thursday issued notices to the Election Commission of India (ECI) and senior election officials on a petition filed by Congress leader Rahul Gandhi, party president Mallikarjun Kharge and other opposition leaders challenging alleged irregularities in the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls.
The petition alleges large-scale irregularities and the deletion of around 13 crore voters during the revision exercise. A bench comprising Chief Justice of India Surya Kant and Justice Joymalya Bagchi asked the poll body, Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar and Election Commissioners Sukhbir Singh Sandhu and Vivek Joshi to respond.
The court directed that the matter be tagged with petitions already pending before it concerning the SIR exercise. Issuing notice is a procedural step and does not mean the court has accepted the allegations made by the petitioners.
What Did The Supreme Court Say On Rahul Gandhi’s SIR Petition?
During the hearing, the bench raised a separate concern about the conduct of one of the petitioners and said the issue would be considered at the next hearing.
The Chief Justice clarified that issuing notice did not amount to condemning anyone. He also said the notice on behalf of one petitioner would be entertained provisionally, subject to that person explaining his conduct.
Senior advocate Kapil Sibal appeared for Rahul Gandhi.
The court also issued notices on separate petitions filed by AIMIM leader Asaduddin Owaisi and Congress leader Digvijaya Singh concerning issues linked to the Election Commission.
What Has Rahul Gandhi Asked The Supreme Court To Do?
The petition filed by Gandhi, Kharge and other INDIA bloc leaders seeks the suspension of the ongoing SIR exercise and the creation of an independent committee headed by a retired Supreme Court judge, assisted by technical experts and other eminent persons.
The proposed committee would audit deletions from electoral rolls, examine access to voter databases and review electronic voting machine processes against international best practices.
The petition also asks the court to ensure that no voter’s name is deleted without prior notice and an opportunity to be heard. It seeks an extension of the opportunity for eligible voters in Punjab and other poll-bound states to apply for inclusion in the electoral rolls until the relevant deadline.
Why Are Opposition Leaders Challenging The SIR Process?
The opposition leaders have alleged that the electoral roll revision has involved large-scale deletions and procedural irregularities. They have also questioned whether decisions concerning the exercise were taken in accordance with the law.
The petition asks the court to examine the Election Commission’s compliance with Article 324 of the Constitution, Section 18 of the Chief Election Commissioner and Other Election Commissioners Act, 2023, and the principles associated with the 1995 TN Seshan ruling.
The leaders have sought the production of Election Commission files, meeting minutes, official notes and objections allegedly recorded by Election Commissioners Sandhu and Joshi on disputed SIR decisions. They have also sought access logs for ECINET and ERONET, along with the complete file concerning the decision of June 24, 2025, to launch the nationwide SIR.
These are requests made by the petitioners; the court has not yet ruled on the merits of the allegations.
What Other Safeguards Have The Petitioners Sought?
The petition seeks directions requiring the Election Commission to publish booth-wise lists of deleted voters, along with the reasons for deletion and age- and gender-related breakdowns.
It also asks for a functional mechanism to restore eligible voters’ names and for online Form 6 procedures to conform to the Registration of Electors Rules, 1960, unless the rules are formally amended.
Other requests include action against those found responsible for any violations, and directions that decisions concerning SIR be properly taken and recorded while the case remains pending.
Who Are The Other Leaders Behind The Petition?
Besides Rahul Gandhi and Mallikarjun Kharge, the petition includes Trinamool Congress MP Saugata Roy, Samajwadi Party chief Akhilesh Yadav, Rashtriya Janata Dal leader Tejashwi Yadav, NCP (Sharadchandra Pawar) leader Supriya Sule and Shiv Sena (UBT) leader Sanjay Raut.
The other petitioners are CPI leader D Raja, JMM MP Mahua Majhi, CPI(M) general secretary MA Baby and Indian Union Muslim League leader ET Mohammed Basheer.
The petition was filed after opposition leaders sought a meeting with Chief Justice Surya Kant to raise their concerns over SIR and allegations of “vote chori”. The Chief Justice declined the request, stating that a meeting would be inappropriate because the issues were already pending before the court for adjudication.
With notices now issued, the Election Commission and the other respondents will have an opportunity to present their position before the court. The legal challenge remains pending.
