Supreme Court To Examine Challenges To Election Commission’s Special Intensive Revision

The Supreme Court on Friday agreed to take up a series of petitions questioning the Election Commission’s decision to carry out the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls in Kerala, Uttar Pradesh, and several other states.

A bench comprising Justices Surya Kant, SVN Bhatti and Joymalya Bagchi issued notices to the Election Commission on multiple newly-filed petitions brought by various political leaders. Each petition contests the SIR process in different states, raising distinct concerns.

During the hearing, senior advocate Kapil Sibal, representing a petitioner opposing the SIR in Kerala, pointed out that local body polls in the state are approaching. He argued that “there is some urgency involved in the matter.”

Responding to the submissions, the bench scheduled the Kerala-related pleas for November 26. The remaining petitions, which challenge electoral roll revisions in other states, will be heard in the first or second week of December.

The court is already considering an earlier cluster of cases disputing the legality of the Election Commission’s decision to implement a nationwide SIR exercise.

Earlier, on November 11, the court had sought individual responses from the Election Commission regarding petitions moved by the DMK, CPI(M), West Bengal Congress, and Trinamool Congress leaders. These pleas question the SIR of electoral rolls in Tamil Nadu and West Bengal.

With PTI inputs