Top Court Backs Election Commission’s Powers
The Supreme Court of India on Wednesday upheld the legality of the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls carried out by the Election Commission of India, ruling that the exercise strengthens the constitutional principle of free and fair elections.
A bench led by Chief Justice Surya Kant and Justice Joymalya Bagchi said the Election Commission has the authority under Article 324 of the Constitution and the Representation of the People Act to conduct such revisions whenever required.
The court observed that the poll panel had acted within its legal powers and said the voter verification exercise could not be struck down merely because it differed from routine electoral roll updates.
Court Says SIR Strengthens Free and Fair Elections
In its judgment, the Supreme Court stated that the Special Intensive Revision supports the constitutional mandate of maintaining clean and accurate voter lists.
The bench noted that the Election Commission is legally empowered to carry out special revisions at any time if reasons are properly recorded.
“The impugned SIR does not replace the law but strengthens the constitutional mandate under Article 324,” the court observed while declaring the exercise legally valid.
The judges also stressed that updating electoral rolls is a core responsibility of the Election Commission to ensure fair elections across the country.
Supreme Court Rejects Claims of Illegal Exercise
Several petitions challenging the SIR exercise had argued that the Election Commission exceeded its powers and imposed unreasonable requirements on voters during the verification process.
However, the court rejected these claims and said the SIR procedure followed legal safeguards, including issuing notices, allowing corrections, hearing objections and providing the right to appeal.
The Supreme Court further clarified that asking voters to submit documents during the revision process does not amount to questioning their citizenship automatically.
Court Says Suspicious Entries Can Be Examined
The bench observed that if documents or records raise doubts regarding an individual’s eligibility, the Election Commission can investigate and take appropriate action regarding inclusion or removal from voter rolls.
The court also noted that the entire process remains open to judicial review wherever necessary.
Bihar SIR Exercise Had Triggered Debate
The issue gained national attention after the Election Commission conducted the first phase of the SIR exercise in Bihar, where nearly 65 lakh names were reportedly removed from draft electoral rolls.
Under the SIR notification, voters whose names were missing from older electoral rolls of 2002 or 2003 were asked to establish ancestral linkage with previously listed family members.
The petitions challenging the exercise had argued that such requirements created difficulties for many genuine voters.
