Opposition Leaders Challenge Voter Deletions in Supreme Court
Opposition Takes Action Against Electoral Roll Irregularities
Rahul Gandhi during the ‘Chalo Dilli’ march to the Supreme Court. (Photo: @INCAssam/X)
Guwahati/New Delhi, Oct 12: On Monday, opposition leaders escalated their campaign regarding electoral rolls by approaching the Supreme Court. They filed a petition alleging significant voter deletions and irregularities during the Special Intensive Revision (SIR), coinciding with a march of supporters through the capital.
Rahul Gandhi, the Leader of Opposition in the Lok Sabha, along with ten other leaders from the INDIA coalition, submitted the writ petition.
The group includes prominent figures such as Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge, Trinamool Congress's Saugata Roy, Samajwadi Party chief Akhilesh Yadav, and RJD leader Tejashwi Prasad Yadav.
The petition names the Election Commission of India (ECI) and Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar as respondents.
As per the Supreme Court's website, the petition, registered under diary number 64196/2026, is currently pending.
This extensive document spans 124 pages, including annexures, and outlines ten specific demands.
It claims that the Chief Election Commissioner acted without the knowledge or consent of the other Election Commissioners while exercising the Commission's collective powers.
Among its primary requests, the petition seeks an immediate suspension of SIR across all states.
Additionally, it calls for the establishment of a committee led by a retired Supreme Court judge to audit the deletions made during SIR, access electoral roll databases, and evaluate EVM processes against international best practices, as reported by a legal website.
Gandhi mentioned that Chief Justice Surya Kant had recommended that the opposition leaders file a formal petition after declining their request for a meeting.
The Supreme Court has reportedly instructed its registry to expedite the processing of the petition, with a hearing expected on Tuesday alongside other related matters.
This filing coincided with Gandhi leading the INDIA bloc's “Chalo Dilli” march from Connaught Place to the Supreme Court. The “March for Democracy” aimed to highlight allegations of vote theft and protest against the Chief Election Commissioner.
Opposition MPs initially gathered at the Constitution Club before proceeding to the Barakhamba Road junction, where a large crowd of supporters and activists joined them, filling the Outer Circle of Connaught Place with Congress flags and anti-CEC slogans.
Prominent figures leading the march included Gandhi, Kharge, Priyanka Gandhi Vadra, CPI’s D Raja, CPI(M)’s M A Baby, Tejashwi Yadav, NCP-SP’s Supriya Sule, Shiv Sena (UBT)’s Sanjay Raut, CPI(ML)’s Dipankar Bhattacharya, and IUML’s E T Mohammed Basheer.
Congress Deputy Leader in the Lok Sabha, Gaurav Gogoi, remarked on social media that “the people of Delhi experienced a breath of fresh air amidst the toxic regime of Prime Minister Modi and Home Minister Amit Shah.”
He noted that the turnout was substantial, inspired by the call to action made during Gandhi’s press conference.