The Supreme Court has agreed to give precedence to a fresh plea challenging aspects of the ongoing Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of Delhi’s electoral rolls. The petition asks the Election Commission and Delhi’s Chief Electoral Officer to disclose the names of voters who have received notices and the specific reasons behind those notices. The matter was mentioned before Chief Justice of India Surya Kant on September 17, and the court said it would be heard on September 22. The plea comes after 47.56 lakh names were excluded from Delhi’s draft electoral roll and another 33.13 lakh voters were flagged for “no mapping” or “logical discrepancies.”Why Is Delhi SIR Challenged?The Supreme Court on Delhi SIR plea focuses mainly on transparency in the notice process rather than challenging the entire electoral-roll revision exercise. Petitioners Anjali Bhardwaj and Amrita Johri have questioned why the names of voters receiving notices and the detailed grounds for scrutiny have not been made publicly available. They have also asked the court to clarify the criteria used to classify voters under “logical discrepancies.”The plea seeks disclosure of voters issued SIR notices.Petitioners want the exact reason for every notice.The plea questions the meaning of “logical discrepancies.”It seeks publication of a searchable list of affected voters.The petition asks for protection against deletion based on unclear notices.Delhi Electoral Roll Faces ScrutinyThe draft electoral roll published on August 31 contained 97,53,577 electors. According to the petition, 47,56,722 names were excluded under the ASDD categories—Absent, Shifted, Dead or Duplicate. Separately, 33,12,919 voters whose names remained in the draft roll were flagged for further scrutiny.Of those flagged, 13,79,785 voters were categorised as having “no mapping”, while 19,33,134 were classified under “logical discrepancies”. The petitioners argue that the public information available does not adequately explain the individual basis for these classifications. The claims and objections process remains underway.Supreme Court Sets September HearingDuring Thursday’s proceedings, advocate Prashant Bhushan mentioned the fresh petition before the Chief Justice. The petitioners allege that generic notices can make it difficult for voters to understand what information they need to provide or correct. They have asked for the underlying criteria, definitions and operational guidelines used in the classification process.The Supreme Court has listed the matter for September 22 along with other SIR-related cases. The Chief Justice indicated that the fresh petition would receive precedence because it was a new matter. The hearing will provide an opportunity for the court to consider the transparency-related concerns raised by the petitioners.Key HighlightsSupreme Court will hear the fresh Delhi SIR plea on September 22.The petition concerns notices issued to voters during the revision.More than 33 lakh voters were flagged for “no mapping” or “logical discrepancies”.The draft roll excluded more than 47 lakh names under ASDD categories.Petitioners want detailed reasons and criteria behind individual notices.The claims and objections process is scheduled to continue until September 30.Delhi SIR Hearing Moves ForwardThe latest Supreme Court on Delhi SIR development puts transparency in the voter-notice process before the court. The petitioners are not only seeking information about who received notices but also want the criteria used to identify discrepancies to be made clear. Their petition alleges that insufficient details could make it difficult for affected voters to respond effectively.The Election Commission’s SIR exercise is continuing, and being flagged for a notice does not itself mean that a voter has been declared ineligible. The authorities are expected to consider claims, objections and supporting information before the final electoral roll is prepared. The Supreme Court hearing on September 22 will therefore be an important next step in the legal proceedings surrounding the Delhi SIR process.Disclaimer: This content is provided only for knowledge purposes and to provide news information.
