Congress leader Rahul Gandhi and other INDIA Bloc leaders have approached the Supreme Court seeking an interim stay on the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls and action over alleged irregularities
in the poll process. The petition seeks 10 forms of relief concerning the SIR and decisions taken by the Election Commission of India (ECI).
According to the petition listed on the Supreme Court website as Rahul Gandhi v. Election Commission of India, the Congress legal team filed the plea an hour or two before Gandhi reached the court in the evening. As he could not arrive before the 4.30 pm deadline, lawyer S Prasanna filed the petition.
Gandhi, along with hundreds of supporters, joined the INDIA bloc’s march to the Supreme Court. Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge, Priyanka Gandhi, Samajwadi Party chief Akhilesh Yadav, Trinamool Congress chief Mamata Banerjee and RJD leader Tejashwi Yadav were among those who participated.
The joint plea followed Chief Justice of India Surya Kant’s refusal to meet Rahul Gandhi the previous day, citing the matter as sub judice. One of the Opposition’s principal demands is the resignation of Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar.
What are the 10 demands?
1. ECI to submit all SIR records
The petition asks the court to direct the ECI to produce complete files, agreements, minutes of meetings and records of objections related to the SIR. It also seeks ECINET and ERONET access logs and file notings concerning the decision to begin the exercise on June 24, 2025. The demand is intended to safeguard rights under Articles 14, 19 and 21 of the Constitution and enforce Article 324.
2. Examine the legality of SIR decisions
The petition seeks judicial examination of whether the disputed decisions comply with Article 324, Section 18 of the Chief Election Commissioner and Other Election Commissioners Act, 2023, and principles laid down in earlier Supreme Court judgments, including Seshan v. Union of India (1995). It says decisions taken without proper statutory authority should be set aside.
3. Action against officials
The plea seeks action against those responsible for any violation of constitutional or statutory provisions governing electoral-roll preparation and revision. It also seeks action under Section 32 of the Representation of the People Act, 1950, where necessary.
4. Decisions on grievances to be recorded
The petition asks the ECI to decide the current petition and related grievances, ensuring that every decision concerning the SIR complies with Section 18 of the 2023 Act and is properly recorded.
5. Online Form 6 to follow prescribed rules
The Opposition wants the online Form 6 to conform to the version prescribed under the Registration of Electors Rules, 1960. It says changes that depart from the prescribed form should not be made without following the formal procedure to amend the rules.
6. Independent audit of electoral rolls and EVMs
The plea seeks an independent committee headed by a retired Supreme Court judge, with technical experts and eminent citizens. Within a stipulated timeframe, the panel would investigate deletions and amendments to electoral rolls during the SIR, examine database access and changes, including those involving ECINET and ERONET, and review the technical design, architecture, decisions, policies, procedures and protocols governing the use and deployment of Electronic Voting Machines (EVMs). It would also consider global best practices to ensure free and fair elections.
7. Publish names and reasons for voter deletions
The petition seeks the publication of booth-wise lists of voters deleted during the SIR, the reasons for each deletion and a classification of deleted names by gender and age. It also calls for an effective mechanism to restore the names of eligible voters.
8. No deletion without notice or hearing
The Opposition wants the court to direct that no voter’s name be deleted without legally required notice and a reasonable opportunity to be heard. It also seeks permission for eligible people in Punjab and other states facing elections to apply for inclusion until the cut-off date prescribed by law.
9. Interim stay on SIR across states
The petition asks the court to suspend the ongoing SIR across all states until the issues raised are considered and decided. It says this is necessary to protect eligible voters’ rights and preserve the fairness and integrity of elections.
10. Any further relief deemed appropriate
Finally, the petition asks the Supreme Court to pass any additional orders it considers necessary, in view of the circumstances of the case, to protect the electoral process and the voting rights of every eligible citizen.
The 10 demands set out the relief sought by the petitioners. They do not, by themselves, amount to directions issued by the Supreme Court.
