The Supreme Court Registry has raised objections regarding a legal challenge filed by Leader of the Opposition in the Lok Sabha, Rahul Gandhi, and other leaders of the INDIA bloc against the Election Commission of India (ECI). The petition, which contests the ongoing Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls, has been returned by the registry after officials identified 14 distinct procedural defects that must be addressed before the matter can be scheduled for a formal hearing.
According to the registry’s observations, the shortcomings in the filing include a variety of administrative and documentation errors. Among the specific issues cited are missing documents, incomplete authorization papers for nine of the petitioners, and a copy of Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge’s identity card that was deemed too blurred for records. Furthermore, the registry noted a financial shortfall, identifying a deficiency of Rs 220 in the required court fees associated with the filing.
The joint petition, listed on the Supreme Court portal as Rahul Gandhi v. Election Commission of India, was submitted by the Congress legal team shortly before the court's 4:30 pm deadline. While the formal filing was executed by lawyer S. Prasanna, the submission followed a protest march to the Supreme Court led by Rahul Gandhi, which included senior opposition figures such as Mallikarjun Kharge, Priyanka Gandhi, Akhilesh Yadav, Mamata Banerjee, and Tejashwi Yadav.
The legal challenge aims to secure 10 specific forms of relief from the Supreme Court. Central to the opposition’s plea is a request for an interim stay on the nationwide Special Intensive Revision of electoral rolls. The petitioners argue that the ECI should provide comprehensive transparency regarding the exercise, including the disclosure of meeting minutes, file notings, agreements, and access logs for the ECINET and ERONET systems. They contend that the ECI must demonstrate that its decisions align with Article 324 of the Constitution and the Chief Election Commissioner and Other Election Commissioners Act, 2023.
Beyond the stay on the revision process, the petition calls for an independent audit of voter deletions, database modifications, and the technical architecture of Electronic Voting Machines (EVMs). The opposition has proposed that this audit be conducted by a committee led by a retired Supreme Court judge, supported by technical experts and citizens. Furthermore, the plea requests that the ECI provide booth-wise lists of deleted voters, detailing the reasons for each removal, and establish a mechanism to restore the names of eligible citizens who were erroneously excluded.
The filing of this petition follows a period of heightened friction between the opposition alliance and the poll panel. The INDIA bloc has leveled various allegations against the ECI, including demands for the resignation of Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar. The matter had previously gained public attention when Chief Justice of India Surya Kant declined an informal meeting with Rahul Gandhi, noting that the issues raised were already sub judice.
Once the legal team rectifies the 14 identified defects, the case will be eligible for listing before the Supreme Court. The court will then be tasked with considering the request for an interim stay and the substantive arguments regarding the integrity of the current electoral roll revision and broader polling procedures. The ECI is expected to respond to these claims once the petition is formally listed and notice is served.
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