A public interest litigation (PIL) has been filed before the Supreme Court seeking action against Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) Gyanesh Kumar over alleged irregularities in the Election Commission of India’s (ECI) Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls.
Filed by advocate Shailendra Mani Tripathi, the petition seeks to declare decisions allegedly taken without the concurrence of the other two Election Commissioners illegal, initiate prosecution against senior officials and order an independent investigation into the alleged deletion of 13 crore voters across 30 States and Union Territories. The plea also seeks the restoration of the original voter registration Form 6. The petition follows reports of disagreements within the Election Commission over decisions linked to the revision exercise.
Plea Seeks Accountability
The petition, filed under Article 32 of the Constitution, seeks judicial intervention over decisions allegedly taken by the Election Commission without the approval of a majority of its members. It names CEC Gyanesh Kumar, Senior Deputy Election Commissioner Maneesh Garg and the Commission’s Director General of Information Technology, Seema Khanna, among the officials against whom action has been sought.
According to the plea, decisions, guidelines, directives and software modifications introduced under Kumar’s leadership without the concurrence of the other Election Commissioners should be declared unconstitutional and void. The petitioner has also sought directions to the competent statutory authority to register complaints and initiate prosecution under Section 32 of the Representation of the People Act, 1950, against officials found guilty of deliberately breaching their official duties.
The petition further seeks an independent judicial inquiry commission or a Special Investigation Team (SIT), headed by a retired Supreme Court judge and assisted by cyber security and information technology experts, to investigate the alleged deletion of voters. It calls for a forensic audit of the ECINet and ERONet databases to establish how the deletions occurred and identify those responsible.
Disputes Over Electoral Revision
The petition comes amid reports of disagreements within the three-member Election Commission over decisions related to the SIR exercise. A report by The Indian Express stated that Election Commissioners Sukhbir Singh Sandhu and Vivek Joshi had recorded written objections on at least 14 occasions between November 2025 and August 2026. The objections reportedly concerned decisions relating to voter additions and deletions, changes to Form 6, access to electoral roll databases and other administrative measures. Four objections were allegedly recorded on a single day.
The petitioner has argued that these objections raise questions about the legality of decisions taken in the name of the Commission. The plea also challenges alleged changes to Form 6, the statutory application form used by eligible citizens to register as voters, and seeks the restoration of the original form prescribed under the Registration of Electors Rules, 1960. It further seeks the preservation of electronic records, server logs, databases and communications linked to the revision exercise to facilitate an independent investigation.
The Election Commission, however, has maintained that decisions concerning the SIR were taken unanimously with the approval of all three Election Commissioners. This position differs from the allegations cited in the petition, which relies on reported written objections by two members of the Commission. The allegations have not been established by a judicial finding, and the filing of the PIL does not amount to a determination of wrongdoing.
The plea also seeks an investigation into the alleged deletion of around 13 crore names from electoral rolls across 30 States and Union Territories. It raises concerns about the process through which eligible voters may have been excluded and seeks scrutiny of the circumstances surrounding the deletions. The petition also refers to 16.10 lakh appeals reportedly filed in West Bengal challenging the inclusion of voters in the electoral rolls.
The Logical Indian’s Perspective
The right to vote is a cornerstone of democratic participation, and every eligible citizen must have a fair opportunity to exercise it without unnecessary barriers. While revising electoral rolls is essential to maintaining accurate voter lists, the process must be transparent, legally sound and accessible to all. Allegations of unauthorised decisions and wrongful voter deletions deserve careful scrutiny, while the officials concerned must have an opportunity to respond through due process.
An independent and impartial examination of the issues raised could help strengthen public confidence in electoral institutions. Ensuring that eligible voters are not left out, providing accessible grievance-redressal mechanisms and encouraging constructive dialogue between institutions and citizens are essential to protecting democratic participation.
How can India ensure that electoral roll revisions remain transparent while safeguarding every eligible citizen’s right to vote?
