In a significant legal escalation over election transparency, Leader of the Opposition in the Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi, along with key INDIA bloc representatives, has filed a comprehensive petition in the Supreme Court challenging the Election Commission of India (ECI).
The plea targets the “unilateral and arbitrary exercise” of powers surrounding the ongoing Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls.
Filed through advocate S. Prasanna, the petition names the ECI, Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) Gyanesh Kumar, and Election Commissioners Sukhbir Singh Sandhu and Vivek Joshi as respondents.
The 10 Key Relief Requests Outlined in the Petition
- Immediate Suspension of SIR: Directing the ECI to suspend all ongoing Special Intensive Revision activities across states until the constitutional and procedural concerns raised in the petition are heard and decided.
- Disclosure of SIR Records: Requiring the ECI to produce full files, agendas, minutes, notings, and objections related to disputed SIR decisions, alongside access logs for ECINET and ERONET.
- Review Under Constitutional Mandates: Conducting a judicial review to determine whether SIR decisions comply with Article 324 of the Constitution, Section 18 of the 2023 Election Commissioners Act, and established precedents like T.N. Seshan v. Union of India.
- Action for Legal Violations: Directing punitive and corrective proceedings against officials responsible for violating statutory provisions governing electoral roll revisions, including Section 32 of the Representation of the People Act, 1950.
- Mandatory Decision Minuting: Instructing the ECI to ensure that every collective administrative decision regarding the SIR process is explicitly minuted in accordance with statutory procedures.
- Form 6 Compliance: Ensuring that the online Form 6 voter registration portal strictly conforms to the Registration of Electors Rules, 1960, unless lawfully amended by Parliament.
- Independent Audit Committee: Constituting an independent committee led by a retired Supreme Court Judge—comprising technical experts and civil society members—to audit voter deletions, modifications, and database access logs.
- EVM System Oversight: Reviewing policies, procedures, and technical architecture related to Electronic Voting Machines (EVMs) in line with global best practices for election integrity.
- Booth-Wise Publication of Deletions: Mandating the publication of booth-wise lists of all deleted voters, along with explicit reasons for deletion, demographic breakdowns, and streamlined restoration mechanisms.
- Prior Hearing and Deadline Protection: Directing that no voter’s name be removed without prior notice and a fair hearing opportunity, while ensuring eligible citizens in poll-bound states retain the right to apply for inclusion up to the statutory deadline.
With opposition leaders leading marches toward the apex court precinct and seeking urgent listing, the Supreme Court is expected to evaluate the petition to safeguard democratic procedures and voter franchise protection.