As assembly elections and by-elections take place across various states, Indian courts are witnessing a surge in individual cases contesting the removal of names from electoral rolls during the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) process.
This legal examination emerges at a politically sensitive junction.
Supreme Court dismisses plea from Tamil Nadu resident
On Friday, April 10, the Supreme Court dismissed the petition of an individual whose name was struck from the electoral rolls post the SIR in Tamil Nadu. The Election Commission opposed the request, arguing that the challenge was made too late, as reported by Live Law.
The plea, filed by C Geetha, was considered by a Bench consisting of Chief Justice of India Surya Kant and Justices Joymalya Bagchi and Vipul Pancholi.
Senior advocate Gopal Sankaranarayanan, representing the petitioner, argued that Geetha’s name removal was unwarranted since it had been on the electoral roll uninterrupted since 2007. He further highlighted that the petitioner held multiple identity documents validating her eligibility, including a passport, Aadhaar card, and Elector Photo Identity Card (EPIC).
Additionally, it was asserted that the petitioner received no prior notification about the removal of her name from the electoral rolls.
In defense of the Election Commission, senior advocate Dama Seshadri Naidu stated that the petition was submitted too late.
Ultimately, the Bench declined to entertain the case.
Related cases from Gujarat
On Thursday, April 9, the Gujarat High Court instructed the State Election Commission to reinstate the name of a voter from the Chharvada Assembly constituency on the electoral rolls for the forthcoming Vapi Municipal Corporation elections scheduled for April 26. This ruling followed the discovery that the individual’s name had been excluded during the SIR process in the state.
According to The Indian Express, a division bench of Justices NSS Gowda and JL Odedra heard the plea submitted by Shashankkumar Mishra, who indicated that his name was removed from the voter list for the Chharvada seat in December 2025.
Upon his request, it was subsequently included in the preliminary electoral rolls dated February 17, 2026.
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However, he later found that his name had been excluded from the electoral roll prepared for the Vapi Municipal Corporation.
Previously, the same Bench on Tuesday, April 7, ordered the State Election Commission to restore the name of an Ahmedabad-based individual whose name was removed during the SIR process.
At that time, the High Court overturned the April 4 decision of the election officer, who refused to add the petitioner’s name to the upcoming rolls. The petitioner in this instance was JB Patel.
Tribunal ruling in West Bengal
Recently, a special tribunal, established following a Supreme Court directive, instructed the electoral authority to include Mahatab Sheikh, Congress’s candidate from Farakka, on the voters’ list, as reported by The Times of India.
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The special tribunal overturned the judicial officer’s ruling that removed Sheikh’s name from the rolls. This directive followed the Supreme Court’s call for an urgent hearing, as the deadline for nomination submissions was Monday (April 6).
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(Edited by : Shoma Bhattacharjee)
