India opposition narrows Supreme Court challenge to SIR process, not its legality

The opposition INDIA bloc, with Rahul Gandhi at the forefront, filed a writ petition in the Supreme Court but abandoned any attempt to contest the constitutional and statutory basis of the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls. Their petition acknowledges the Court's May 27 decision that affirmed the Election Commission's power to carry out SIR, deeming it consistent with the Representation of the People Act and the 1960 Rules.

The bloc now concentrates on alleged procedural irregularities and the large-scale removal of voters without adequate opportunity to contest deletions. The Supreme Court had earlier described the SIR as proportionate, rationally linked to its objective, and equipped with safeguards against arbitrary exclusion. It emphasized that accurate voter lists are fundamental to free and fair elections. The opposition's narrowed focus reflects the finality of the Court's earlier judgment, which has not been appealed.