Supreme Court Issues Notice to ECI, CEC Gyanesh Kumar on Rahul Gandhi and INDIA Bloc Leaders' Plea Against SIR
The Supreme Court issued notice to the ECI, CEC Gyanesh Kumar, and Election Commissioners on a plea by Rahul Gandhi and INDIA bloc leaders challenging the Special Intensive Revision of electoral rolls and voter deletions. The court demanded booth-wise publication of deleted voters and questioned the conduct of one of the 13 petitioners.
The Supreme Court on Thursday, October 15, issued notice to the Election Commission of India (ECI) and other respondents on a petition filed by opposition leaders, led by Lok Sabha Leader of the Opposition Rahul Gandhi, challenging the poll panel's Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls and alleged voter deletions. The petition seeks a judicial review of procedures surrounding voter list updates and demands safeguards to prevent unauthorised exclusions.
Notice Issued to Poll Panel Officials
The apex court sought formal responses from the ECI, Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar, and Election Commissioners Sukhbir Singh Sandhu and Vivek Joshi. At the same time, the Court expressed strong objections to the conduct of one of the 13 petitioners challenging the manner in which the ECI is conducting the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls. Jantar Mantar Belongs to People of India’: Rahul Gandhi Calls Jailing of CJP Leaders ‘Cowardice’ After Tricolour Protest.
“We would like to ask one of the petitioners about his conduct on the next date of hearing,” said the CJI while issuing notice in the plea of Rahul Gandhi's and other opposition leaders.
Background of the Petition
The petition was filed on October 12 by Lok Sabha Leader of the Opposition Rahul Gandhi alongside prominent INDIA bloc leaders, including Congress President Mallikarjun Kharge, Samajwadi Party chief Akhilesh Yadav, RJD leader Tejashwi Prasad Yadav, NCP (SP) leader Supriya Sule, and Shiv Sena (UBT) leader Sanjay Raut.
Registered as W.P.(C) No. 001351/2026 after addressing initial procedural defects, the petition challenges the decision-making process adopted by the Election Commission regarding the SIR process. The legal challenge asks the court to examine whether these decisions align with Article 324 of the Constitution, the 2023 law governing the Election Commission, and the Supreme Court's ruling in T.N. Seshan vs Union of India. ‘Don’t Come in Way of Protesting Students, They Are India’s Voice’: Rahul Gandhi to PM Modi.
Key Reliefs Sought
The petition seeks specific administrative safeguards from the judiciary, asking the court to ensure that no elector is deleted without receiving prior notice and a reasonable opportunity for a hearing. Additionally, the petitioners have requested a directive for the booth-wise publication of all deleted electors, along with specific reasons for deletion and relevant demographic details.
(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on Oct 15, 2026 01:34 PM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).
