Independent audit of voter deletion, SIR suspension among key prayers in SC plea by Rahul, Bloc leaders INDIA | Today’s news

Leader of the Opposition in Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi and other leaders on Monday moved the Supreme Court over alleged widespread voter deletion and irregularities in the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls.

The plea sought the formation of an independent committee, headed by a former Supreme Court judge and assisted by technical experts and other prominent citizens, to conduct an independent audit of the deletions and edits made during the SIR within a specified time.

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It also sought direction to ensure that no voter is struck off the electoral roll without prior notice and adequate opportunity of being heard in accordance with law and also to ensure that eligible persons in Punjab and other states going to polls are allowed to apply for inclusion in the electoral roll up to the last date permitted by law.

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They cited alleged widespread voter erasure and irregularities in a particularly intensive revision of electoral rolls. The petition states that these concerns affect the rights of eligible voters and the integrity of the election process.

The petition requests a time-limited audit of voter deletions and database modifications in ECINET and ERONET. It also asks the committee to review EVM protocols, technical architecture and deployment.

The motion asks the Supreme Court to ensure that no voter is struck out without notice and a reasonable opportunity to be heard. It also seeks to allow eligible persons to apply for inclusion by the latest date permitted by law.

Searches ECI files, agendas, minutes, notes and objections to contested SIR decisions, along with ECINET and ERONET access logs. It also requests a file for a decision to initiate a nationwide SIR on June 24, 2025.

Yes. It seeks a temporary stay of the ongoing SIR in all states while the Supreme Court considers and decides the issues raised in the petition.

“To issue an interim order suspending the ongoing special intensive review of voter rolls in the states of the Union pending the consideration and evaluation of the issues raised in this petition in order to protect the rights of eligible voters and preserve the integrity of the election process,” the lawsuit states.

Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge, TMC MP Saugata Roy, Samajwadi Party (SP) chief Akhilesh Yadav, Rashtriya Janata Dal leader Tejashwi Prasad Yadav, Nationalist Congress Party (Pawar) (NCP-SCP) leader Supriya Sule, Shiv Sena-UBT leader Sanjay Raut and some other opposition leaders are also in the petition.

The petition got the Election Commission of India (EC), Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) Gyanesh Kumar and other election commissioners Sukhbir Singh Sandhu and Vivek Joshi on the case.

“The concerns take on particular significance in light of an investigation published by The Indian Express on September 23, 2026, which stated that two election commissioners had recorded objections at least fourteen times over ten months in relation to decisions on voter registration, erasure and restoration of names and access to electoral roll data,” it said.

Here are the 10 prayers requested in the petition from the summary document:

1. Creation of ECI records and files (Prayer a): Direct the Election Commission of India (ECI) to record all files, programmes, minutes, notes and objections recorded by the Election Commissioners regarding the impugned Special Intensive Review (SIR) decisions, along with the ECINET/ERONET access logs and the file recording the decision dated 24 June 2025 to initiate the nationwide SIR.

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2. Legal review of impugned decisions (prayer b): Review whether the impugned decisions of the SIR were in accordance with Article 324 of the Constitution, Section 18 of the Chief Electoral Commissioner and Other Electoral Commissioners (Appointment, Conditions of Service and Tenure) Act 2023 and the law made by the Supreme Court. Revoke all decisions made without legal authority.

3. Action against those responsible (Prayer c): Direct the relevant authorities to take appropriate action against those responsible for contravening the constitutional or statutory provisions governing the electoral rolls, including section 32 of the Representation of the People Act 1950, whenever justified.

4. Compulsory recording of future decisions (Prayer d): Direct the ECI until the petition is disposed of to ensure that every decision relating to the SIR is taken and duly recorded in accordance with Section 18 of the 2023 Act.

5. Restoration of Statutory Form 6 (Prayer e): Direct the ECI to ensure that the online Form 6 conforms to the prescribed form under the Voter Registration Rules, 1960, unless and until the rules are statutorily amended.

6. Independent Audit and Review of EVMs (Prayer f): Form an independent committee headed by a former Supreme Court judge assisted by technical experts and eminent citizens to conduct a time-bound audit of SIR deletions and database modifications in ECINET/ERONET and review EVM protocols, technical architecture and deployment against global best practices.

7. Disclosure of details of booth deletions (Prayer g): Order the appropriate respondent to disclose the names of all voters deleted during the SIR, the reasons for each deletion, and the demographic breakdown by age and gender. The European Citizens’ Initiative should also provide an effective mechanism for restoring the names of eligible voters.

“Make sure no voter is erased”

8. Protection against deletion without hearing (Prayer h): Ensure that no voter shall be deleted without prior notice and without a reasonable opportunity to be heard. Allow eligible persons in election-bound states, including Punjab, to seek inclusion in the electoral roll by the latest legal date allowed.

9. Interim Suspension of Statewide SIR (Prayer i): Direct the suspension of ongoing special intensive review in all states until the petition is disposed of.

10. Consequential and general relief (Prayer j): Make any further or other orders deemed fit and proper to protect the integrity of the election and the right of every eligible citizen to vote.

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Earlier, the CJI had rejected a meeting request by Kharge and Gandhi who sought to submit a memorandum on issues related to CEC, EC, alleged arbitrary arrest of several students, closure of metro stations and cancellation of trains.

Convening a meeting on matters sub judice before the Supreme Court would violate the principle of separation of powers and is “inconsistent with established ethics and judicial propriety”, the CJI wrote to Gandhi and Kharge.

No voter shall be removed from the voter’s roll without prior notice and a reasonable opportunity to be heard in accordance with law.

“You have my assurance that every such petition will be heard at the earliest possible opportunity in accordance with law,” the CJI added in his letter.