Supreme Court To Pronounce Verdict On Validity Of SIR By Election Commission Today

Last Updated:May 27, 2026, 07:31 IST

The top court had reserved its judgment on January 29 after hearing detailed arguments from both the petitioners and the poll panel.

The Supreme Court is set to deliver its verdict on petitions challenging the constitutional validity of the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) conducted by the Election Commission of India (ECI). A bench comprising Chief Justice Surya Kant and Justice Joymalya Bagchi will pronounce the judgment today.

The petitioners moved the court claiming that the Election Commission lacks the authority under Article 326 of the Constitution, the Representation of the People Act, 1950, and the rules framed under it to conduct the SIR exercise on such a large scale.

The top court had reserved its judgment on January 29 after hearing detailed arguments from both the petitioners and the poll panel. Among those who moved the court against the exercise was the NGO Association for Democratic Reforms (ADR), which argued that the ECI lacks the constitutional and statutory authority to conduct such a large-scale revision.

During the hearings, the Supreme Court declined to stay the ongoing SIR process but clarified that it would examine the larger legal question of whether the ECI possessed the authority to carry out such an exercise. The bench had also observed that even if the final electoral rolls were published, the court would still be free to intervene if it found any illegality in the process.

Defending its decision, the Election Commission argued that its powers stem from Article 326 itself, which limits voting rights to Indian citizens. The poll body maintained that ensuring only eligible citizens remain on the electoral rolls is a constitutional obligation and that allowing non-citizens to vote would undermine the democratic framework.

The SIR of electoral rolls sparked major controversy after the ECI directed voters who were not listed in the 2002 or 2003 electoral rolls to establish ancestral linkage with individuals whose names appeared in those records. The Commission also maintained that Aadhaar cards and voter identity cards could not be treated as conclusive proof of citizenship.

While the exercise has already concluded in Bihar, Kerala, Tamil Nadu, Puducherry, and West Bengal, it is underway in states including Uttar Pradesh, Gujarat, and Rajasthan.

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