NEW DELHI: Leader of Opposition in the Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi, Leader of Opposition in the Rajya Sabha Mallikarjun Kharge, and other opposition leaders have moved the Supreme Court. They are challenging the manner in which the Election Commission of India is implementing the Special Intensive Revision of electoral rolls, alleging procedural irregularities while seeking an independent audit of voter databases and deletions.
The petition, filed under Article 32 of the Constitution, seeks the suspension of the ongoing SIR exercise across the country pending the adjudication of raised issues. It also asks for an independent committee headed by a retired Supreme Court judge to examine the revision exercise implementation and review the technical systems governing electoral rolls and Electronic Voting Machines.
The petitioners questioned the alleged exercise of collective powers by the Chief Election Commissioner without the knowledge or concurrence of other Election Commissioners. They sought the production of records relating to the decision to undertake the nationwide SIR, including files, minutes, notings, and objections recorded by the commissioners.
The plea contends that the Election Commission must function as a multi-member constitutional body and that decisions concerning electoral rolls must comply with Article 324 and Section 18 of the Chief Election Commissioner Act, 2023. The petition refers to a newspaper report from September 23, 2026, stating that two Election Commissioners recorded objections on 14 occasions over 10 months concerning voter registration, deletion, and restoration.
The petition acknowledges the Election Commission’s response that these reports presented only one aspect, that differences of opinion were normal, and that decisions were unanimous. However, the petitioners argued that official records require examination to determine if decisions followed the law.
The plea also questioned the modification of online Form 6 on the ECINET platform in July 2026 without a corresponding rule amendment, and flagged concerns over the processing of objections and database technical architecture. Furthermore, the petition cites a draft electoral roll published in Punjab on August 13, 2026, which reflected a reduction of about 20.66 lakh names from an electorate of 2.14 crore in June 2026.
The petitioners clarified that they are not seeking to reopen the validity of the SIR itself, which the Supreme Court upheld on May 27, 2026, in Association for Democratic Reforms v. Election Commission of India. Instead, they seek scrutiny of whether court safeguards and legal requirements are being followed.
The plea was filed following a written communication dated October 11 from Chief Justice of India Surya Kant in response to a representation made by Rahul Gandhi and Kharge on October 10. The petitioners sought consideration of their plea along with connected proceedings scheduled for hearing on October 13.
