The petition filed by Congress leader Rahul Gandhi and 10 prominent opposition leaders following a massive march on October 12 was not listed for hearing in the Supreme Court on Tuesday (October 13) as defects pointed out by the registry are yet to be cured.
Besides Mr. Gandhi and Kharge, TMC MP Saugata Roy, Samajwadi Party chief Akhilesh Yadav, Rashtriya Janata Dal leader Tejashwi Prasad Yadav, Nationalist Congress Party (Sharad Pawar) leader Supriya Sule, Shiv Sena-UBT leader Sanjay Raut, Communist Party of India’s D. Raja, Jharkhand Mukti Morcha MP Mahua Majhi, CPI(M) general secretary M.A. Baby and Indian Union Muslim League leader E.T. Mohammed Basheer are co-petitioners in the plea filed by the Congress leader.
The plea also sought a direction to the poll panel to ensure that online Form 6 conforms to the form prescribed under the Registration of Electors Rules, 1960, unless and until the said Rules are lawfully amended in accordance with the applicable procedure.
“Issue an interim direction suspending the ongoing Special Intensive Revision of electoral rolls across the states, pending consideration and adjudication of the issues raised in the present petition, in the interests of protecting the rights of eligible electors and preserving the integrity of the electoral process,” the plea said. The plea said if any of the decisions were taken without lawful authority, it must be quashed. “Issue an appropriate writ, order or direction asking the competent authorities to take appropriate action against the persons responsible for any breach of the constitutional or statutory provisions governing the preparation and revision of electoral rolls, including under Section 32 of the Representation of the People Act, 1950, wherever warranted,” it said.
As per the Supreme Court’s website, the apex court registry had flagged 14 defects, including lack of a clear copy of the ID card of Congress president and Leader of Opposition in Rajya Sabha Mallikarjun Kharge, a co-petitioner in the case.
