Rahul Gandhi and Mallikarjun Kharge walked into the Supreme Court on Monday with a joint petition that puts the Election Commission’s voter roll revisions under the microscope. They weren’t alone. The INDIA bloc’s senior leadership — including Akhilesh Yadav, Tejashwi Prasad Yadav, and Supriya Sule — filed the plea, directly challenging the integrity of the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) launched in June 2025. The petition names Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar and his colleagues as respondents, asking the top court to intervene before the process distorts the electoral map further.
The core of the challenge? Alleged large-scale voter deletions and procedural irregularities. The petition specifically targets the ECINET and ERONET databases, demanding full transparency on access logs and internal decision-making. It’s a direct hit at the opacity surrounding the SIR. The opposition argues that the deletions lack due process and violate constitutional safeguards under Article 324 and the Representation of the People Act.
The 10 demands in the petition are blunt. They want the EC to publish booth-wise lists of deleted voters, complete with reasons for removal. They’re asking for an independent committee — headed by a retired Supreme Court judge — to audit the deletions and even review EVM systems. There’s also a call for an immediate interim suspension of the SIR across all states until the court decides. It’s a comprehensive legal assault on the current electoral process.
The stakes are high. With Punjab and other states approaching elections, the opposition insists that eligible voters cannot be stripped of their franchise without notice or a hearing. The petition seeks to ensure that Form 6 applications are processed according to the 1960 rules, not any backchannel changes. This isn’t just about numbers. It’s about control over the voter roll.
The Supreme Court will now have to decide whether to grant the interim suspension or allow the SIR to continue. A hearing is expected soon, and the outcome could upend the electoral calendar. For now, the INDIA bloc has lit a fire under the EC’s feet, and the judiciary’s response will shape the next phase of India’s democratic process.