₹220 fee shortfall, blurred copy of Kharge’s ID card: Supreme Court flags 14 defects in Rahul Gandhi-led plea against EC

The Supreme Court registry has flagged 14 defects in the INDIA bloc’s petition over voter deletions and alleged irregularities in the Special Intensive Revision of electoral rolls, delaying its path to an urgent hearing. The plea, filed by Leader of Opposition in the Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi and 10 other Opposition leaders, has not yet been cleared for listing.

The objections relate to filing requirements, including missing or unsigned lawyer authorisations, unclear supporting documents and a court fee shortfall of ₹220. The registry has also sought clarification on why individual Election Commissioners have been named as private respondents in a writ petition filed under Article 32 of the Constitution. The defects do not amount to a judicial ruling on the merits of the case.

Supreme Court registry flags 14 defects in Rahul Gandhi-led plea

Among the defects flagged by the registry is the absence of a clear and legible copy of Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge’s identity card. It has also pointed to missing or unsigned vakalatnamas for petitioners numbered 3 to 11. A vakalatnama authorises a lawyer to represent a petitioner before the court.

The nine leaders concerned are Saugata Roy, Akhilesh Yadav, Tejashwi Prasad Yadav, Sanjay Raut, MA Baby, D Raja, Mahua Majhi, Supriya Sule and ET Mohammed Basheer. The registry has further sought clear copies of supporting documents, including digital copies on a pen drive of the Election Commission’s June 24, 2025 decision to initiate the Special Intensive Revision and other records related to voter deletions.

What the INDIA bloc petition seeks

The petition, filed on Monday, names the Election Commission of India, Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar and Election Commissioners Sukhbir Singh Sandhu and Vivek Joshi as respondents. It seeks the constitution of an independent committee headed by a retired Supreme Court judge, assisted by technical experts and other eminent citizens, to conduct an audit of deletions and modifications made during the revision exercise within a fixed time.

It also seeks an interim suspension of the ongoing Special Intensive Revision across states until the court decides the issues raised. In the words of the plea, "Issue an interim direction suspending the ongoing Special Intensive Revision of electoral rolls across the states of the Union, pending consideration and adjudication of the issues raised in the present petition, in the interests of protecting the rights of eligible electors and preserving the integrity of the electoral process,".

The petitioners have sought directions to ensure that no voter is removed from the electoral roll without prior notice and a reasonable opportunity to be heard. They have also asked that eligible voters in Punjab and other poll-bound states be allowed to seek inclusion in the rolls until the last date permitted by law.

Other reliefs sought include booth-wise publication of the names of deleted voters, the reasons for each deletion and a break-up of deletions by gender and age. The plea also asks for an effective mechanism to restore the names of voters found eligible for inclusion.

Plea seeks EC files, access logs and review of decisions

The petition seeks files, agendas, minutes, internal notes and objections related to decisions on the Special Intensive Revision. It also asks for relevant access logs from the ECINET and ERONET systems, along with the complete file concerning the June 24, 2025 decision to begin the exercise.

The petitioners have asked the court to examine whether the disputed decisions were taken in compliance with Article 324 of the Constitution, Section 18 of the Chief Election Commissioner and Other Election Commissioners (Appointment, Conditions of Service and Term of Office) Act, 2023, and applicable judicial rulings. Article 324 vests in the Election Commission the superintendence, direction and control of the preparation of electoral rolls and the conduct of elections.

The plea also seeks appropriate action against officials found responsible for any violations, including under Section 32 of the Representation of the People Act, 1950, wherever warranted. It further asks for changes to the online Form 6 voter registration process so that it conforms to the Registration of Electors Rules, 1960, unless those rules are lawfully amended.

The petition says it has been filed under Article 32 of the Constitution over what it describes as concerns arising from the alleged unilateral and arbitrary exercise of the Election Commission’s collective powers by the Chief Election Commissioner during the ongoing revision, and the resulting impact on electoral integrity and the rights of eligible citizens to register and vote.

Punjab deletions cited as urgent concern

The petition cites Punjab to underline the urgency of the matter. It says the draft electoral roll published on August 13, 2026 reportedly showed a reduction of around 20.66 lakh names from an electorate of about 2.14 crore recorded in June 2026. According to the petitioners, the alleged irregularities raise concerns about electoral integrity and the constitutional right of eligible citizens to be registered as voters and to exercise their vote.

Petition filed after CJI declines meeting request

The filing came after Chief Justice of India Surya Kant declined a meeting sought by Gandhi and Kharge on Sunday. They had sought to submit a memorandum raising concerns related to the Chief Election Commissioner, alleged arbitrary arrests of students, closure of Metro stations and cancellation of trains.

In his response, the Chief Justice said a meeting on issues already pending before the Supreme Court would run contrary to the separation of powers and would be incompatible with judicial propriety. He told them, "You have my assurance that any such petition shall be heard at the earliest possible opportunity, in accordance with the law."

(With PTI inputs)