Leader of Opposition in the Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi, along with 10 INDIA bloc leaders, filed a petition in the Supreme Court on Monday against the Election Commission of India (ECI) on issues linked to the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) and alleged poll irregularities.
As Gandhi could not reach the Supreme Court to file the petition in person, his advocate, S Prasanna, filed it, naming the ECI, Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) Gyanesh Kumar, and the two other election commissioners, Sukhbir Singh Sandhu and Vivek Joshi, as respondents. Seshan v. Union of India. It also seeks to have any decisions found to be unlawful quashed or set aside. The petition also seeks the constitution of an independent committee headed by a retired Supreme Court judge, with technical experts and other eminent citizens, to audit voter deletions and modifications during the SIR, as well as access to and changes made to electoral-roll databases, including ECINET and ERONET. The petition further seeks a direction that no voter’s name be deleted from the electoral rolls without prior notice and a reasonable opportunity of hearing in accordance with law. It also seeks to ensure that eligible persons in Punjab and other poll-bound states are permitted to apply for inclusion in the electoral rolls until the last date allowed by law.
The petition seeks a review of whether the disputed SIR decisions comply with Article 324 of the Constitution, Section 18 of the 2023 Act governing the Election Commissioners, and the Supreme Court’s ruling in T.N.
Lastly, it is prayed that this court may deem fit and proper in the facts and circumstances of the present case, in order to protect the integrity of the electoral process and the right of every eligible citizen to vote.
