The Supreme Court of India has issued notice to the Election Commission of India (ECI) and sought its response to a petition filed by Tanuj Punia, a Congress MP from Barabanki, challenging the ECI’s notification dated October 27 2025 authorising a Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of voter rolls in Uttar Pradesh.
A bench comprising Justices Surya Kant, S.V.N. Bhatti and Joymalya Bagchi passed the order on 21 November, noting that the petition raises serious concerns regarding voter disenfranchisement and constitutional safeguards. The same order also addresses parallel pleas challenging SIR in Kerala.
What the Petition Alleges
Tanuj Punia, who also serves as Chairman of the Scheduled Caste Department of the Uttar Pradesh Congress Committee, has asked the Court to:
- Quash the ECI’s SIR notification for Uttar Pradesh, dated October 27, and the earlier order of June 24, 2025, authorising the exercise.
- Declare the SIR exercise in UP to be ultra vires the Representation of the People Act, 1950, the Registration of Electors Rules, 1960 and violative of Articles 14, 19, 21, 325 and 326 of the Constitution of India.
- Alternatively, seek deferment or modification of timelines for enumeration, draft roll publication and disposal of objections in UP to ensure comprehensive coverage of electors.
The MP’s core argument: the SIR process places the burden on the individual elector to re-establish eligibility through documentation—something many in UP may not possess—contrary to statutory norms that presume continuity of registration.
Key Concerns Raised: Risk of Voter Exclusion
Punia’s petition warns that if the SIR exercise proceeds unchecked in UP, the risk is of “immediate disenfranchisement of lakhs of genuine electors” in India’s largest state.
Notable grievances include:
- The exercise links voter deletion not to traditional grounds (death, cessation of residence or disqualification) but to inadequate documentation—an entirely new basis for exclusion.
- The Distribution of enumeration forms remains incomplete in many districts: ground reports suggest less than half of voters have received forms by mid-November.
- BLOs (Booth Level Officers) may record “probable cause” such as shifted or duplicate, based on hearsay—even when voters have not been issued forms.
- The timelines set are impossible in districts with large migrant populations, seasonal harvest work, and zones unvisited by enumeration teams.
These points highlight alleged structural vulnerabilities, particularly in states with vast electorates and challenging field conditions.
SC’s Order and Next Steps
The Supreme Court has issued notice to the ECI, requesting a formal response. The matter relating to SIR in Kerala has been listed for hearing on 26 November, while the date for UP’s plea is yet to be fixed.
The bench has asked the ECI to address issues including statutory basis, implementation modalities, timelines, and safeguards for electorate protection.
Implications for India’s Electoral Roll Regime
The case holds broader significance given the timing: the SIR process is underway across 12 states and Union Territories ahead of future elections. Analysts say:
- If the Court restrains or modifies the SIR exercise, it could reshape electoral roll revision norms nationwide.
- A ruling favouring the petition may reinforce the principle of continuity of registration and place stricter checks on deletion/disqualification grounds.
- On the other hand, upholding the SIR could set precedent for verification-intensive roll revisions, raising concerns about administrative capacity and equitable coverage.
The ECI’s defence will be closely watched for its reasoning on field-level readiness, safeguards for mobile/migrant populations and documentation standardisation.
Summary
Congress MP Tanuj Punia has asked the Supreme Court to quash or modify the SIR exercise in Uttar Pradesh, arguing it poses a grave threat of disenfranchisement. The Court has issued notice to the ECI, marking the beginning of a potentially landmark litigation on voter roll integrity, constitutional guarantees and the mechanics of mass enumeration in India’s largest democracy.
