The Supreme Court Registry has flagged 14 procedural defects in a petition filed by Congress leader Rahul Gandhi and 10 other Opposition leaders challenging alleged irregularities in the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls.
The plea has not yet been cleared for listing before the court. Among the deficiencies identified are missing or unsigned lawyer authorisations, unclear supporting documents and a Rs 220 shortfall in court fees.
The objections are part of the Supreme Court’s routine filing scrutiny and do not amount to a decision on the allegations or reliefs sought by the petitioners.
Registry Seeks Clarification on Election Commissioners as Respondents
The Registry has also asked the petitioners to explain why Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar and Election Commissioners Sukhbir Singh Sandhu and Vivek Joshi have been named individually as private respondents in a writ petition filed under Article 32 of the Constitution.
The Election Commission of India itself has also been named as a respondent.
Until the filing defects are corrected and the petition is formally registered, it cannot proceed to substantive consideration by the court.
Missing Vakalatnamas Among Defects
The Registry has sought a clearer and legible copy of Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge’s identity document.
It has also flagged missing or unsigned vakalatnamas for petitioners numbered three to 11. A vakalatnama is the document through which a litigant authorises a lawyer to appear and act on their behalf.
The nine Opposition leaders concerned are Saugata Roy, Akhilesh Yadav, Tejashwi Prasad Yadav, Sanjay Raut, MA Baby, D Raja, Mahua Majhi, Supriya Sule and ET Mohammed Basheer.
The Registry has additionally sought clearer supporting records and digital copies of documents, including the Election Commission’s June 24, 2025 decision connected with the SIR exercise.
What Does the INDIA Bloc Petition Seek?
Rahul Gandhi and 10 other Opposition leaders filed the petition on Monday after a protest march to the Supreme Court.
The plea seeks the constitution of an independent committee headed by a retired Supreme Court judge, along with technical experts and other eminent persons, to audit deletions and modifications made to electoral rolls within a fixed timeframe.
The petitioners have also sought an interim suspension of the ongoing SIR exercises across states until the Supreme Court decides the issues raised in the petition.
They want safeguards to ensure that no eligible voter is removed from electoral rolls without prior notice and a reasonable opportunity to be heard.
Booth-Wise Details of Deleted Voters Sought
Among the other reliefs sought is a direction to publish booth-wise lists of deleted voters along with the stated reasons for their removal.
The petition also seeks gender- and age-wise data on deletions and a mechanism through which eligible voters who were removed can have their names restored.
It further asks the court to ensure that eligible citizens in Punjab and other poll-bound states are allowed to seek inclusion in the electoral rolls until the deadline prescribed under election law.
Petition Seeks EC Files and Digital Access Logs
The Opposition leaders have sought access to files, agendas, meeting minutes, internal notes and objections connected with decisions taken during the SIR process.
They have also requested relevant access logs from the ECINET and ERONET systems, along with the complete official record relating to the Election Commission’s June 24, 2025 decision.
The petition asks the Supreme Court to examine whether the decisions complied with Article 324 of the Constitution, provisions of the Chief Election Commissioner and Other Election Commissioners Act, 2023, and applicable judicial precedents.
It also seeks action against officials found responsible for violations, wherever legally warranted.
Form 6 Process Also Challenged
The petition raises objections to aspects of the online Form 6 voter-registration process.
The leaders have sought directions to bring the online procedure in conformity with the Registration of Electors Rules, 1960, unless the relevant rules are formally amended through the legally prescribed process.
Punjab Voter Deletions Cited in Petition
The petition cites Punjab as an example to underline what it describes as the urgency of the issue.
According to the plea, the draft electoral roll published on August 13, 2026 showed a reduction of around 20.66 lakh names compared with an electorate of approximately 2.14 crore recorded in June.
These figures form part of the petitioners’ case and their allegations are yet to be adjudicated by the Supreme Court.
The Election Commission has rejected allegations that the revision process was designed to favour any political party and has maintained that eligible voters who were wrongly excluded can seek re-enrolment.
CJI Had Declined Meeting Request
The petition was filed after Chief Justice of India Surya Kant declined a request from Rahul Gandhi and Mallikarjun Kharge for a meeting over the electoral-roll controversy and other issues.
The CJI said discussing matters already pending before the judiciary through an administrative meeting would conflict with the separation of powers and principles of judicial propriety.
He indicated that any properly filed petition would be considered through the judicial process in accordance with law.
The INDIA bloc subsequently marched to the Supreme Court and filed the petition seeking judicial intervention over SIR and alleged voter deletions.
What Happens Next?
The immediate next step is for the petitioners to correct the defects identified by the Registry.
Once the deficiencies are cured and the petition is formally registered, it can be placed before the appropriate Supreme Court bench for consideration.
Only then will the court decide whether to issue notice, grant any interim relief or examine the substantive allegations regarding the SIR process and voter deletions.
