Rahul Gandhi, INDIA Bloc Move SC Against Voter Roll Revision

GG News Bureau
New Delhi, 12th Oct: Congress leader Rahul Gandhi and other INDIA bloc leaders have intensified their challenge to the Election Commission’s Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls, with a petition filed in the Supreme Court seeking an interim stay on the ongoing exercise and a series of safeguards for voters.

The petition, listed as Rahul Gandhi v. Election Commission of India on the Supreme Court website, reportedly seeks ten forms of relief concerning the SIR process and other decisions taken by the Election Commission. Advocate S. Prasanna filed the plea on Gandhi’s behalf before the Congress leader reached the court.

The development came amid a march by INDIA bloc leaders and supporters towards the Supreme Court. Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge, Priyanka Gandhi Vadra, Samajwadi Party chief Akhilesh Yadav, Trinamool Congress chief Mamata Banerjee and RJD leader Tejashwi Yadav were among the opposition figures who joined the mobilisation.

The Opposition’s demands include an interim suspension of the SIR process across states until the legal issues are examined, along with greater transparency in the preparation and revision of electoral rolls. Opposition leaders have also called for the resignation of Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar.

What the Petition Seeks

The plea raises questions about the legal basis, transparency and implementation of the electoral roll revision. Its principal demands include:

• Disclosure of records: The Election Commission should submit files, meeting minutes, objections and relevant ECINET and ERONET access logs linked to the SIR decision initiated on June 24, 2025.

• Review of legality: The court should examine whether the decisions comply with constitutional provisions, election laws and applicable judicial precedents.

• Independent audit: A committee headed by a retired Supreme Court judge, with technical experts and eminent citizens, should investigate voter deletions, database changes and aspects of election technology, including EVMs.

• Publication of deleted names: The Commission should disclose booth-wise details of voters removed from electoral rolls, along with reasons for deletion and an effective mechanism for restoring eligible voters’ names.

The petition also seeks directions to prevent the deletion of any voter’s name without legally required notice and a reasonable opportunity for a hearing. It asks the Election Commission to ensure that online Form-6, used for voter registration, conforms to the prescribed rules.

Another demand concerns accountability. The petition seeks appropriate action against officials found responsible for violations of constitutional or statutory provisions governing electoral roll preparation and revision, including action under Section 32 of the Representation of the People Act, 1950, where applicable.

Interim Stay at the Centre of the Challenge

A key request is to suspend the ongoing SIR across all states until the issues raised in the petition are considered and adjudicated by the Supreme Court. The plea argues that safeguards are necessary to protect eligible voters and maintain the integrity of the electoral process.

The legal challenge follows an earlier reported refusal by Chief Justice of India Surya Kant to meet Rahul Gandhi, with the matter being sub judice. The Opposition subsequently pursued the issue through a joint legal challenge.

The petition’s demands remain requests for judicial intervention; their filing does not mean the Supreme Court has granted the relief sought.