India bloc files plea in Supreme Court after CJI declines pre-hearing meeting
INDIA Bloc Files Supreme Court Petition Against ECI Over Voter Deletion Allegations as Protests Enter Tenth Day
Source: WION YouTube · October 12, 2026 at 8:02 PM · AI-assisted report
Single-sourceNEW DELHI, 13 OCTOBER 2026 —
INDIA Bloc Files Supreme Court Petition Against ECI Over Voter Deletion Allegations as Protests Enter Tenth Day
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The INDIA bloc, led by Congress leader Rahul Gandhi, has filed a Supreme Court petition challenging the Election Commission of India (ECI) over alleged discrepancies in the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) exercise, which opposition parties claim led to mass voter deletions ahead of recent state elections. The move follows the Chief Justice of India’s refusal to intervene, prompting a protest march by thousands of opposition supporters toward the apex court in Delhi.
The petition, filed by Gandhi alongside 10 other opposition leaders—including Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge, Trinamool Congress MP Saugata Roy, Samajwadi Party chief Akhilesh Yadav, and leaders from RJD, Shiv Sena (UBT), CPI(M), CPI, Jharkhand Mukti Morcha, NCP, and IUML—names the ECI, Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar, and commissioners Sukhbir Singh Sandhu and Vivek Joshi as respondents. The plea demands an independent probe into voter deletions, seeking access to all records related to the ECI’s decisions.
The hearing is scheduled for Tuesday.
The filing comes as protests in Delhi entered their tenth day, with opposition leaders insisting on the resignation of Kumar and a return to ballot papers instead of electronic voting machines (EVMs). Congress leader Gurdeep Singh Sappal confirmed that the petition was submitted symbolically outside the Supreme Court, stating: "Our struggle continues.
It may take days, weeks, or months, but this will persist until democracy is restored." He dismissed the BJP’s defense of election outcomes, citing "files from the ECI" to support claims that public sentiment in Maharashtra and Haryana contradicted official results.
The protest march saw thousands of Congress workers, Samajwadi Party members, Telangana Chief Minister Revanth Reddy, and Himachal Pradesh Chief Minister join the demonstration, reinforcing opposition unity. Police deployed heavily, including women officers, to manage the crowd along the route to Bhagwan Das Road. Meanwhile, the BJP has accused the opposition of orchestrating the agitation to undermine electoral processes, though no official rebuttal to the petition’s specific allegations has been publicly released.
The Special Intensive Revision (SIR) exercise, launched nationwide, has been at the center of opposition grievances. The petition alleges that systematic deletions of voter names—particularly in states like Maharashtra and Haryana—disproportionately affected marginalized communities, raising concerns over electoral integrity. The INDIA bloc’s legal challenge now hinges on whether the Supreme Court will order an investigation into the ECI’s methodology and decisions.
As the hearing approaches, the political stakes remain high. The ECI has not yet commented on the petition, but the Chief Justice’s earlier stance—that the judiciary cannot interfere in the functioning of elected representatives—may shape the court’s response. If the plea gains traction, it could force a reckoning with India’s electoral processes, particularly the use of EVMs, which have long been a flashpoint in trust debates.
The protest’s escalation reflects broader opposition frustration with the ruling BJP’s dominance in recent elections, where margins of victory in key states have fueled accusations of manipulation. With the next general election looming, the Supreme Court’s decision on this petition could redefine the contours of India’s democratic discourse—setting a precedent for future challenges to electoral transparency.