The Supreme Court of India is set to deliver its verdict on Wednesday, 28 May 2025, on a batch of petitions challenging the Election Commission of India's (ECI) decision to conduct a Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls. The ruling, to be pronounced by a Bench led by Chief Justice of India (CJI) Surya Kant and Justice Joymalya Bagchi, follows extensive hearings and the reservation of judgment on 29 January 2025.

What the Petitions Challenge

The petitions contest the legal validity of the SIR exercise, arguing that the ECI has overstepped the powers granted to it under Article 326 of the Constitution, the Representation of the People Act, 1950, and the rules framed thereunder. At the heart of the dispute is a specific requirement imposed by the poll body: voters whose names do not appear in the 2002 electoral rolls — or the 2003 rolls in certain states — must establish an ancestral link to someone whose name does appear in those records.

Concerns Over Voter Disenfranchisement

Petitioners argued before the apex court that the ancestral linkage condition could effectively disenfranchise genuine voters, particularly those from marginalised communities and migrant populations who may lack documentary proof tracing their lineage to decades-old electoral records. Critics contend the burden of proof is disproportionately heavy for vulnerable sections of the electorate.

Notably, most petitions were filed in June 2024, shortly after the ECI announced the SIR exercise in Bihar. The revision was subsequently extended to several other states and union territories, including West Bengal, Kerala, and Tamil Nadu.

Interim Directions and Document Expansion

During the course of proceedings, the Supreme Court issued interim directions aimed at ensuring transparency and reducing hardship for affected voters. While the ECI had initially prescribed 11 documents for verification, the apex court directed that Aadhaar be accepted as an additional valid document for the SIR process — a significant concession that broadened the evidentiary options available to voters.

ECI's Defence of the Exercise

The Election Commission defended the SIR before the court, maintaining that the exercise was designed to uphold the integrity of electoral rolls by eliminating duplication and weeding out ineligible voters. The poll body argued that a clean and accurate voter list is fundamental to free and fair elections — a position that the petitioners did not dispute in principle, though they challenged the specific methodology adopted.

What the Verdict Could Mean

The Supreme Court's ruling is expected to have far-reaching implications for how electoral rolls are revised across India, particularly in states with large migrant and informal-sector populations. A ruling against the SIR methodology could compel the ECI to redesign its verification framework before any future revision exercise. Conversely, an endorsement of the process would set a judicial precedent for the commission's authority to impose documentary conditions on voter eligibility verification.