Supreme Court Questions ECI’s Powers as Debate Intensifies Over Special Intensive Revision of Electoral Rolls

The Supreme Court on Thursday continued its scrutiny of the Election Commission of India’s (ECI) decision to conduct a Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls across multiple States—an exercise that has sparked nationwide legal and political debate.

Senior Advocate Abhishek Manu Singhvi, appearing before the CJI-led Bench on November 27, argued that the Representation of the People Act (ROPA) restricts the ECI’s power to carry out such revisions only within specific constituencies, not on an en masse, nationwide scale. He questioned the jurisdictional basis for the Commission’s sweeping move, urging the Court to examine the limits of institutional authority.

The Bench is hearing a batch of petitions filed by various groups and individuals challenging the legality, scope, and procedure of the SIR, which began drawing heavy scrutiny on Wednesday.

During the previous day’s session, the Court had focused on a pressing concern: the use of Aadhaar in the SIR process. The Bench posed a critical question—if Aadhaar had already enabled certain non-citizens to access welfare programmes such as subsidised ration, should it also enable them to gain entry into the electoral rolls, potentially compromising the integrity of the voter list?

At the same time, the Court observed that the argument claiming the SIR has “never been conducted before” cannot, by itself, be grounds for declaring the ECI’s decision invalid. Novelty, the Bench noted, does not automatically suggest illegality.

As the hearings progress, the case is expected to influence not just electoral procedures but the broader debate around identification systems, voter verification, and the boundaries of the Election Commission’s constitutional mandate.

Further updates from the courtroom will continue as Krishnadas Rajagopal reports live for Pudvi Times.