New Delhi, Sep 22: The Supreme Court on Tuesday sought clarification from the Election Commission of India (ECI) over the process followed for issuing notices to voters during the ongoing Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of Delhi’s electoral rolls.
A three-judge bench headed by Chief Justice Surya Kant, along with Justices Joymalya Bagchi and V. Mohana, raised questions over the basis on which more than 30 lakh voters were identified for verification under categories including “logical discrepancies” and “unmapped” records.
The Court particularly sought an explanation regarding the criteria used to classify a voter’s record as having a “logical discrepancy”. It also asked the ECI to provide details of the manpower deployed for carrying out the large-scale verification exercise.
The matter relates to a petition filed by activists Anjali Bhardwaj and Amrita Johri, represented by advocate Prashant Bhushan. The petition seeks greater transparency in the notice process, including disclosure of the voters who have received notices and the specific grounds on which the notices were issued.
The petitioners have also sought information on the criteria, parameters and operational guidelines used by election authorities to identify “logical discrepancies”.
They have argued that voters should be provided sufficient information about the discrepancy so they can respond effectively during the verification process.The development comes against the backdrop of the draft Delhi electoral roll published on August 31.
According to the petition, more than 47 lakh electors were not included in the draft roll, while around 33.13 lakh voters included in the draft were identified for notices on grounds of “no mapping” or “logical discrepancies”.The election authorities have maintained that the notices are part of the verification process and are intended to allow voters to correct or establish their electoral details.
Reports also indicate that the Delhi Chief Electoral Officer has published booth-wise information concerning the categories of discrepancies involved.
Under the SIR process, voters whose details require verification can respond to the notices and submit relevant documents. The exercise is being conducted before preparation of the final electoral roll.The Supreme Court’s latest questions concern the transparency and implementation of the notice mechanism and do not, by themselves, amount to a finding that the entire SIR exercise is unlawful.
The case also comes against the backdrop of the Supreme Court’s earlier ruling concerning SIR in Bihar. In that case, the Court recognised the ECI’s authority to conduct the revision and noted the importance of accurate and credible electoral rolls in ensuring free and fair elections.
The Delhi proceedings will now focus on the information supplied by the ECI regarding the identification of voters, the criteria for “logical discrepancies” and the practical arrangements made for completing the verification process.
The final electoral roll for Delhi is currently scheduled to be published on November 4, 2026, subject to any subsequent changes in the process or directions from the authorities or the Court.
