Mohit Singh
AIMIM president and Hyderabad MP Asaduddin Owaisi has moved the Supreme Court challenging the Election Commission of India’s (ECI) Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls, alleging that the manner in which the exercise is being conducted imperils the voting rights of eligible citizens. The plea was mentioned on October 14, 2026, before a bench led by Chief Justice of India Surya Kant.
Petition Mentioned Before CJI-Led Bench
Advocate Nizamuddin Pasha, appearing for Owaisi, mentioned the writ petition before a bench comprising Chief Justice Surya Kant and Justice Joymalya Bagchi, and sought its listing alongside similar petitions scheduled for hearing on Thursday, October 15. Responding to the request, the CJI indicated that he would check and list the case with the connected matters, as reported by LiveLaw. The filing, made through advocate-on-record Lzafeer Ahmad BF, adds to a growing list of legal challenges to the SIR process across the country.
Owaisi told reporters that the purpose of filing the petition was to ensure that the Election Commission works in accordance with the law. He said it needed to be clarified whether the decisions related to the SIR were taken with the consent of all members of the Commission or if there was a dissenting view, since the ECI is legally required to function as a collective body, according to the IANS report.
What the Petition Alleges
The petition does not seek to re-open the question of the ECI’s authority to undertake an intensive revision of electoral rolls, a power the Supreme Court had already upheld in the Bihar SIR judgment. Instead, it questions whether that authority has been exercised in accordance with the Constitution, the Representation of the People Act, 1950, the Registration of Electors Rules, 1960, and the procedural safeguards governing the process.
The key allegations raised in the petition include:
- That decisions affecting the SIR were taken without the requisite collective approval of the Commission.
- That statutory forms and procedures were altered through software and portal modifications.
- That software-generated flags and classifications may displace the statutory jurisdiction of Electoral Registration Officers, leading to arbitrary deletions from the rolls.
- That opaque procedures and differential treatment of electors violate constitutional protections.
Reliefs Sought From the Court
Among the prayers in the petition are a declaration that SIR-related decisions taken without lawful authorisation are liable to be set aside; a direction that forms prescribed under the 1960 Rules cannot be superseded through portal changes or executive instructions; and a direction to the ECI to restore Form 6 on the ECINET portal to the prescribed format.
The petition further seeks a direction that no elector be excluded solely on the basis of software-generated flags, the quashing of the additional declaration introduced in the online Form 6, the constitution of an independent committee to audit the revision systems, and suspension of the revision exercise pending the hearing and final disposal of the case.
Opposition Bloc Filed Similar Plea
Owaisi’s move comes days after Leader of Opposition Rahul Gandhi and ten other INDIA bloc leaders filed a petition in the Supreme Court raising alleged discrepancies in voter deletions linked to the SIR process. The petitioners in that matter include Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge, Samajwadi Party chief Akhilesh Yadav, RJD’s Tejashwi Prasad Yadav, Shiv Sena (UBT)’s Sanjay Raut, CPI(M) general secretary MA Baby, CPI general secretary D Raja, TMC MP Saugata Roy, JMM MP Mahua Majhi, NCP (SP) MP Supriya Sule and IUML MP ET Muhammed Basheer.
Protests have also been reported in the national capital and other parts of the country demanding the resignation of Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar and an independent audit of voter deletions during the SIR. As the Supreme Court takes up these petitions, the procedures followed during the revision exercise are set to face further judicial scrutiny. It is important to note that the filing of these petitions does not establish that the allegations they contain are proven; the ECI has not yet responded to them in court.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls?
The SIR is a detailed revision of voter lists carried out by the Election Commission of India to verify electoral records and update the rolls. It involves house-to-house verification and scrutiny of existing entries, with additions and deletions made as per the prescribed procedure.
What does Owaisi’s petition ask the Supreme Court to do?
The petition seeks judicial directions to ensure transparency and accountability in the SIR process, including setting aside decisions taken without lawful authorisation, restoring statutory forms on the ECINET portal, barring exclusions based only on software-generated flags, and appointing an independent committee to audit the revision systems.
When will the plea be heard?
Advocate Nizamuddin Pasha requested that the petition be listed alongside similar petitions already scheduled for hearing on October 15, 2026. Chief Justice Surya Kant said he would check and list the case with the connected matters.
Who else has challenged the SIR in the Supreme Court?
Rahul Gandhi and ten INDIA bloc leaders filed a separate petition earlier in the week, seeking an independent audit of changes to electoral rolls, transparency in publishing the names of deleted voters and the reasons for their removal, and safeguards to ensure eligible voters are not removed without notice or a reasonable opportunity to be heard.
