Rahul Gandhi's Supreme Court SIR petition: 10 requests, from a pause to a deletion audit
By Shamyak
Published · Updated
Phase 2 of SIR cut 5.18 crore names from the rolls of 12 states and union territories. The INDIA bloc wants it paused and every deletion audited, but 14 filing defects must be fixed before any hearing.
Original report
On 12 October 2026, Rahul Gandhi and 10 other INDIA bloc leaders filed a writ petition in the Supreme Court asking it to pause the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of voter rolls and order an independent audit of deleted names (Hindustan Times, 2026). The petition makes 10 requests, but it cannot be heard yet: the court's Registry has flagged 14 defects, including a Rs 220 court-fee shortfall (India TV, 2026).
The fight is about scale. Phase 2 of SIR cut the rolls of 12 states and union territories from 50.99 crore to 45.81 crore names, a fall of 5.18 crore or 10.2%, PTI reported on 11 April 2026 (PTI, 2026a). That is 51.8 million names, since 1 crore is 10 million.
Who filed the Supreme Court petition on SIR, and against whom
Advocate S Prasanna filed it on the evening of 12 October because Gandhi could not reach the court (Hindustan Times, 2026). The co-petitioners are Mallikarjun Kharge, Saugata Roy (TMC), Akhilesh Yadav, Tejashwi Yadav, Supriya Sule, Sanjay Raut, D Raja, Mahua Majhi (JMM), MA Baby and ET Mohammed Basheer (The Tribune, 2026a; PTI, 2026b).
The respondents are the Election Commission of India (ECI), Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) Gyanesh Kumar and Election Commissioners Sukhbir Singh Sandhu and Vivek Joshi (mid-day, 2026). The core charge is that the CEC used the Commission's collective powers in a "unilateral and arbitrary" way during SIR (Hindustan Times, 2026). Every one of the 10 requests flows from that charge.
The 10 requests, in plain words
Hindustan Times and India TV reported the requests as follows (Hindustan Times, 2026; India TV, 2026):
- Pause SIR in every state until the court decides the issues.
- Put on record the files, agendas, minutes and notes behind each disputed decision.
- Produce the ECINET and ERONET database access logs, and the file behind the 24 June 2025 decision to run SIR nationwide.
- Test those decisions against Article 324, Section 18 of the 2023 EC Act and the T N Seshan v Union of India judgment, and quash any found unlawful.
- Act against anyone who broke the voter-roll rules in Section 32 of the Representation of the People Act 1950.
- Minute every SIR decision, as Section 18 requires.
- Make the online Form 6 match the 1960 Rules.
- Set up a committee led by a retired Supreme Court judge, with technical experts, to audit deletions, database access and changes, and also review EVM systems.
- Publish booth-wise lists of deleted voters with reasons and a gender and age split, plus a way to restore names.
- Delete no one without notice and a hearing, and let eligible people in Punjab and other poll-bound states apply until the legal last date.
The petition also seeks any other relief the court sees fit. The deletion figures explain why the audit sits at its centre.
Crores of names left the rolls in two phases
Phase 2 removed 66,88,636 electors recorded as dead, including 25.47 lakh in Uttar Pradesh and 24.16 lakh in West Bengal, PTI reported on 11 April 2026. After objections and adjudication the figure stood at 63.16 lakh (PTI, 2026a).
Phase 3 draft rolls for another 12 states and union territories, published on 11 August 2026, deleted 1,58,59,834 of 13,77,27,807 names, or 11.51%, SabrangIndia reported (SabrangIndia, 2026). The largest state cuts were:
- Andhra Pradesh: 44.89 lakh names
- Haryana: 33.83 lakh names
- Odisha: 20.12 lakh names
One lakh is 100,000, so the phase 3 draft cut is about 15.9 million names. No source we read gives the number of names added, state by state, so that side of the ledger is not yet known. The court has already spoken on one part of this dispute.
What the Supreme Court has already said
On 5 October and again on 12 October, a bench of Chief Justice Surya Kant and Justices Bagchi and Mohana said it had neither approved nor rejected the modified Form 6 (The Tribune, 2026b). The ECI says its declaration was upheld in the court's 27 May 2026 judgment on the Bihar SIR (Business Today, 2026).
That is the sharpest exchange so far. On 5 October Gandhi said "Gyanesh Kumar changed Form 6 illegally and unilaterally"; the same day an ECI fact check called his post "misleading" (Business Today, 2026).
Gandhi and Kharge also sought a meeting with the Chief Justice on 12 October. He declined, citing matters pending before the court, sources told PTI (PTI, 2026b). Outlets chose different parts of this story to lead with.
How the coverage split
Four outlets led on four different parts of the same dispute:
- Hindustan Times led with the 10 requests, to pause SIR and audit deletions (Hindustan Times, 2026).
- The Tribune set the petition beside the "March for Democracy" and police barricades (The Tribune, 2026a).
- India TV led with the 14 Registry defects and the Rs 220 fee shortfall (India TV, 2026).
- Business Today, on 5 October, led with the ECI calling Gandhi's Form 6 claim misleading (Business Today, 2026).
See how every outlet covered it
Earlier on this story: Rahul Gandhi detained at INDIA bloc's ECI march: 8 headlines said detained, 1 arrested and Delhi Metro stations closed today: six shut till 4pm for opposition march against CEC.
What happens next
The petition will be listed only after the 14 defects are cured (India TV, 2026). Connected petitions against CEC Gyanesh Kumar are listed for 27 October 2026 (The Tribune, 2026b). Whether this petition joins them, and how the ECI replies, is not yet known.
Questions people are asking
When will the Supreme Court hear it, and why did the Registry return it?
Not before 14 defects are cured, India TV reported on 12 October: nine missing vakalatnamas (the forms that authorise a lawyer), a blurred copy of Kharge's ID, a Rs 220 court-fee shortfall and a missing copy of an earlier judgment (India TV, 2026). Connected petitions against the CEC are listed for 27 October 2026 (The Tribune, 2026b).
What are the 10 requests in the SIR petition?
In short: pause SIR, produce files and database logs, audit deletions through a retired-judge committee, publish booth-wise deletion lists, give notice before any deletion, bring Form 6 in line with the 1960 Rules, review EVMs, act against officials and test decisions against Article 324 (Hindustan Times, 2026). The full list is above.
What evidence of "vote theft" has been filed?
That is not yet known: no source we read describes evidence filed with the petition, which itself asks the court to make the ECI produce its files and logs (Hindustan Times, 2026). The official figures in play are a net fall of 5.18 crore names in phase 2 and 1.58 crore draft deletions in phase 3 (PTI, 2026a; SabrangIndia, 2026).
Did the Chief Justice meet Rahul Gandhi?
No. The Chief Justice declined the 12 October request, citing matters pending before the court, according to sources quoted by PTI (PTI, 2026b).
Has the Supreme Court approved the new Form 6?
No. The bench said on 5 and 12 October that it had neither approved nor rejected it (The Tribune, 2026b).
- Delhi Metro stations closed today: six shut till 4pm for opposition march against CEC
- Rahul Gandhi detained at INDIA bloc's ECI march: 8 headlines said detained, 1 arrested
- CJI Surya Kant declines Rahul Gandhi meeting; the reasons come from unnamed sources
- Chalo Dilli: about a dozen journalists detained, several say they showed press cards
References
- Business Today (2026) 'Misleading': ECI fact checks Rahul Gandhi's Form 6 claim, cites SC ruling on Bihar SIR order. BusinessToday, 5 October. Available at: 'Misleading': ECI fact checks Rahul Gandhi's Form 6 claim, cites SC ruling on Bihar SIR order (Accessed: 12 October 2026).
- Hindustan Times (2026) Pause SIR, hold independent audit of voter deletion: INDIA bloc petition to Supreme Court lists 10 requests. Hindustan Times, 12 October. Available at: Pause SIR, hold independent audit of voter deletion: INDIA bloc petition to Supreme Court lists 10 requests (Accessed: 12 October 2026).
- India TV (2026) Missing signatures to incomplete docs to Rs 220 fee shortfall: 14 defects flagged in INDIA bloc's SIR petition. India TV, 12 October. Available at: Missing signatures to incomplete docs to Rs 220 fee shortfall: 14 defects flagged in INDIA bloc's SIR petition (Accessed: 12 October 2026).
- mid-day (2026) Rahul Gandhi, 10 INDIA bloc leaders challenge SIR in SC, name Election Commissioners as respondents. mid-day, 12 October. Available at: Rahul Gandhi, 10 INDIA bloc leaders challenge SIR in SC, name Election Commissioners as respondents (Accessed: 12 October 2026).
- PTI (2026a) SIR phase 2: Voters' list of 12 states/UTs pruned by over 10%. The Arunachal Times, 11 April. Available at: SIR phase 2: Voters' list of 12 states/UTs pruned by over 10% (Accessed: 12 October 2026).
- PTI (2026b) Rahul, Kharge, Others File Petition in SC Alleging SIR Irregularities. Deccan Chronicle, 12 October. Available at: Rahul, Kharge, Others File Petition in SC Alleging SIR Irregularities (Accessed: 12 October 2026).
- SabrangIndia (2026) SIR Phase 3: 1.58 crore names deleted from draft rolls across 12 States and UTs. SabrangIndia, 11 August. Available at: SIR Phase 3: 1.58 crore names deleted from draft rolls across 12 States and UTs (Accessed: 12 October 2026).
- The Tribune (2026a) Rahul-led INDIA bloc takes SIR battle to SC. The Tribune, 13 October. Available at: Rahul-led INDIA bloc takes SIR battle to SC (Accessed: 12 October 2026).
- The Tribune (2026b) Didn't adjudicate on new Form 6 during Bihar SIR hearings, says SC. The Tribune, 13 October. Available at: Didn't adjudicate on new Form 6 during Bihar SIR hearings, says SC (Accessed: 12 October 2026).
How we did this
We compared how Hindustan Times, The Tribune, India TV, mid-day and Business Today reported the petition and the Form 6 dispute between 5 and 13 October 2026, alongside our own coverage page for the story. We list the 10 requests as Hindustan Times and India TV reported them; we have not seen the petition itself. Roll figures are as reported by PTI in The Arunachal Times and SabrangIndia; the conversions to millions are our arithmetic. Reader questions came from public discussion on Reddit and X; every answer comes from the sources listed above.
This story was produced, reviewed, edited and verified by the reporter before publication, with AI assistance where required.
Covered by 29 outlets across the spectrum: 28% left, 44% center, 28% right.
Who is covering this story
- Left-leaning (6): The New Indian Express, greaterkashmir, NDTV, The Hindu, Sabrang India, The Federal
- Center (9): Tribune India, Deccan Herald, DNA India, Free Press Journal, ABP Live English, Mid-Day, Arunachal Times (PTI), Hindustan Times, Business Today
- Right-leaning (5): India Today, Times of India, Zee News English, India TV English, Deccan Chronicle
Sources
- Delhi anti-CEC protest LIVE: Rahul Gandhi files petition in SC alleging irregularities in SIR — Tribune India (center) ·
- INDIA bloc leaders to file petition against CEC Gyanesh Kumar in Supreme Court: Rahul — The New Indian Express (left-leaning) ·
- INDIA bloc leaders to file petition against CEC Gyanesh Kumar in SC: Rahul — greaterkashmir (left-leaning, AI-estimated) ·
- 'Gyanesh won't survive as CEC, he's having sleepless nights': Rahul says Opposition to file plea in Supreme Court — Deccan Herald (center) ·
- Supreme Court allows Rahul Gandhi, 5-10 INDIA bloc leaders to file petition over SIR: Report — DNA India (center) ·
- 'Rahul Gandhi v ECI': LoP Files Supreme Court Plea Over Alleged Voter Deletions After INDIA Bloc's Protest March — Free Press Journal (center) ·
- Rahul Gandhi, 10 INDIA bloc leaders file petition in Supreme Court against EC — India Today (right-leaning) ·
- INDIA Bloc Vs CEC Gyanesh Kumar: 11 leaders file Supreme Court petition for SIR stay, restoration of deleted voter names — DNA India (center) ·
- Rahul Gandhi’s Petition Against CEC Gyanesh Kumar Under Scrutiny In Supreme Court, Hearing Likely Tomorrow — ABP Live English (center) ·
- INDIA Bloc March, Supreme Court Petition Filed Over Voter Deletions, CEC Accountability — India Today (right-leaning) ·
- 'Disclose EC files, set up audit panel': Key points from INDIA bloc's plea in SC — Times of India (right-leaning) ·
- SIR Stay, Action Against Officials: Rahul Gandhi's 10 Requests To Top Court — NDTV (left-leaning) ·
- Congress Supreme Court Plea Against Election Commission, Voter Deletions and CEC Power — India Today (right-leaning) ·
- Rahul Gandhi, Opposition leaders move SC seeking independent panel to probe SIR, decision-making — The Hindu (left-leaning) ·
- INDIA bloc moves Supreme Court against alleged voter deletions, SIR irregularities — The New Indian Express (left-leaning) ·
- Inside INDIA bloc’s Supreme Court petition: Rahul Gandhi seeks suspension of SIR and independent audit of voter rolls — Zee News English (right-leaning) ·
- Want accountability for ‘vote theft’ from Modi, Shah: INDIA bloc leaders — Tribune India (center) ·
- Missing signatures to incomplete docs to Rs 220 fee shortfall: 14 defects flagged in INDIA bloc — India TV English (right-leaning) ·
- Election Commission row: Rahul Gandhi, 10 INDIA bloc leaders challenge SIR in Supreme Court — Mid-Day (center) ·
- SIR phase 2: Voters’ list of 12 states/UTs pruned by over 10% — Arunachal Times (PTI) (center) ·
- Didn’t adjudicate on new Form 6 during Bihar SIR hearings, says SC - The Tribune — Tribune India (center) ·
- Rahul-led INDIA bloc takes SIR battle to SC - The Tribune — Tribune India (center) ·
- ‘Pause SIR, hold independent audit of voter deletion’: INDIA bloc petition to Supreme Court lists 10 requests — Hindustan Times (center) ·
- Rahul, Kharge, Others File Petition in SC Alleging SIR Irregularities — Deccan Chronicle (right-leaning) ·
- 'Misleading': ECI fact checks Rahul Gandhi's Form 6 claim, cites SC ruling on Bihar SIR order - BusinessToday — Business Today (center) ·
- SIR Phase 3: 1.58 crore names deleted from draft rolls across 12 States and UTs | SabrangIndia — Sabrang India (left-leaning, AI-estimated) ·
- Rahul Gandhi, others move SC over voter deletions — greaterkashmir (left-leaning, AI-estimated) ·
- SIR, CEC row: Rahul, other Opposition leaders file petition in SC — The Federal (left-leaning) ·
- SC Registry Flags 14 Flaws in INDIA Bloc Plea, Missing Documents and Signatures — India Today (right-leaning) ·