Asaduddin Owaisi Moves Supreme Court Against SIR Process, Seeks Hearing Alongside Similar Petitions

AIMIM chief Asaduddin Owaisi has moved the Supreme Court challenging the Election Commission of India's (ECI) Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls. His petition was mentioned before Chief Justice of India (CJI) Surya Kant on Wednesday, October 14, with his lawyer seeking to have the matter heard alongside similar petitions scheduled for Thursday, October 15.

Advocate Nizamuddin Pasha mentioned the plea before the CJI-led bench and requested that it be listed with the connected matters. CJI Surya Kant said he would check and list the petition alongside the other cases, according to LiveLaw. The matter is developing, and further details of Owaisi's petition and the court's next steps are awaited. SC Registry Flags 14 Defects in Rahul Gandhi, INDIA Bloc Leaders’ Plea Against ECI.

What Is Owaisi's Plea Against the SIR Process?

Owaisi's petition challenges the manner in which the Special Intensive Revision of electoral rolls is being conducted. The SIR exercise involves a detailed revision of voter lists by the Election Commission to verify electoral records and update the rolls.

The specific grounds and reliefs sought in Owaisi's petition were not detailed in the initial report on Wednesday's proceedings. The immediate request before the CJI was to list the matter alongside similar petitions already scheduled for hearing.

Supreme Court to Consider Similar SIR Petitions

Owaisi's move comes as the Supreme Court is dealing with multiple petitions concerning the SIR exercise and the Election Commission's role in revising electoral rolls. Rahul Gandhi and INDIA Bloc Leaders Move Supreme Court Against Election Commission Over SIR.

On October 12, Leader of Opposition in the Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi and 10 other INDIA bloc leaders filed a joint petition challenging aspects of the SIR process. Their plea raised concerns over the alleged unilateral exercise of the Election Commission's collective powers and sought scrutiny of decisions related to voter-list revisions.

The Supreme Court's consideration of these matters is significant because the petitions raise questions about the conduct of the revision exercise and safeguards for voters whose names may be removed from electoral rolls. However, the grounds and requested reliefs in the separate petitions should not be treated as identical.

What Is the Special Intensive Revision (SIR)?

The Special Intensive Revision is an Election Commission exercise to conduct a detailed revision of electoral rolls. It is intended to verify voter records and ensure that electoral lists reflect eligible electors.

The process has faced political and legal scrutiny over documentation requirements, the possibility of eligible voters being excluded and the procedures for restoring names to electoral rolls. Owaisi has previously criticised the exercise, describing it as a “backdoor NRC” and raising concerns about difficulties faced by voters whose names were missing from the lists. These were his allegations, not a judicial finding.

(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on Oct 14, 2026 11:32 AM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).