New Delhi: The Supreme Court has been approached with a petition challenging the Election Commission of India’s (ECI) Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls in Maharashtra, with the petitioner alleging that more than one crore voters have been deleted from the lists over purported logical discrepancies. The petition claims that around 33 per cent of voters have been struck off the electoral rolls, raising concerns over the exercise being conducted to revise voter records in the state.
Supreme Court Considers State-specific Approach
A Bench led by Chief Justice of India Surya Kant declined to list the matter alongside a separate petition filed by Rahul Gandhi and others challenging the SIR process on the same day. During the hearing, the Chief Justice indicated that the court intended to examine issues concerning the revision on a state-by-state basis rather than adopt a generalised approach, reported Live Law.
The Bench initially indicated that notice could be issued directly to the petitioner, with the court considering the issuance of dasti notice, which allows a notice to be served directly by the party concerned rather than through the court's usual service process.
ECI Extends Claims & Objections Deadline
The development comes as the ECI has extended the deadline for filing claims and objections to Maharashtra’s draft electoral rolls by nearly two months, giving eligible voters until October 26, 2026, to seek inclusion, correct details or raise objections.
The draft electoral roll was published on August 31, with October 1, 2026, set as the qualifying date for the revision. Under the revised schedule, the period for submitting claims and objections runs until October 26. The process of issuing notices and disposing of claims and objections will continue until November 10. The final electoral roll is scheduled to be published on November 16, as originally planned.
Voters Urged To Verify Electoral Details
The extension provides additional time to voters whose names are missing from the draft list, as well as those seeking corrections to their personal details. First-time voters and other eligible citizens can also use the extended window to verify their entries and apply for inclusion. The Office of the Chief Electoral Officer, Maharashtra, has urged eligible citizens to check their details and complete the necessary formalities before the October 26 deadline.
