IS ECI'S POWER TO CONDUCT ELECTORAL ROLL REVISION ABSOLUTE? SC RAISES QUESTIONS

The Supreme Court on Wednesday questioned whether the Election Commission of India's (ECI) power to conduct a Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls is absolute or subject to judicial scrutiny, observing that such exercises can have serious civil consequences for citizens.

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A Bench comprising Chief Justice of India Surya Kant and Justice Joymalya Bagchi noted that revision of electoral rolls directly affects an individual's right to vote and therefore cannot be insulated from legal safeguards or judicial review.

"Revision of the voter list can lead to civil consequences for a person whose name is on the list. If something affects the civil rights of people, why should the process not follow the procedure prescribed under subsection (2)?" CJI Kant observed, referring to Section 21(2) of the Representation of the People (RP) Act, which mandates that electoral rolls be prepared and revised in a prescribed manner.