From Form 6 to Supreme Court: SIR Dispute Enters a Crucial Legal Phase

The political and legal battle over the Election Commission’s Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls has intensified, with the Supreme Court agreeing to hear a petition challenging Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar’s functioning and the legality of the SIR exercise.

The petition, filed by Rakesh Kumar Singh, questions whether the Chief Election Commissioner can take decisions on matters concerning the Election Commission without the concurrence of the other Election Commissioners. It also challenges the legal basis and implementation of the SIR exercise. The Supreme Court is expected to list the matter for hearing next week. 

The controversy has grown following reports that Election Commissioners Sukhbir Singh Sandhu and Vivek Joshi raised objections on multiple occasions to certain decisions and changes relating to electoral-roll procedures.

An Indian Express report said the two commissioners had recorded objections at least 14 times over a 10-month period. The report has triggered a wider political debate over the functioning and decision-making process of the three-member poll panel. 

The Election Commission, however, has maintained that its decisions were taken according to the applicable procedure and has rejected suggestions of an institutional split.

Another major development came on Wednesday when the Election Commission removed an additional SIR-related declaration from online Form 6 in states where the SIR exercise has already been completed.

Form 6 is the statutory application used by eligible citizens seeking inclusion in the electoral roll.

The additional declaration remains available in states and Union Territories where SIR is still underway. The change has become part of the broader controversy after reports that Election Commissioners Sandhu and Joshi had questioned whether the statutory form could be modified without changes to the relevant rules. 

Meanwhile, opposition parties have announced a coordinated campaign over the SIR controversy.

The INDIA bloc said it would organise “Save Democracy” programmes and marches from October 2 to October 8, with Opposition MPs scheduled to march to the Election Commission in New Delhi on October 6. The bloc has also announced a larger rally in Delhi on November 1. 

The opposition has alleged irregularities in electoral-roll revision and demanded accountability from the Election Commission. These remain political allegations and are being contested by the poll body.

The Supreme Court hearing could become an important legal test concerning:The constitutional and statutory powers of the Election CommissionWhether decisions can be taken by the CEC independently or require collective decision-making The legal framework governing SIR The procedure for modifying electoral-roll forms The validity of changes made during the revision process The immediate focus will now be on the Supreme Court’s hearing and on the Election Commission’s response to the legal challenge.