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Supreme Court flags 14 procedural defects in Rahul Gandhi and INDIA bloc leaders’ petition against CEC Gyanesh Kumar (Img: Pinterest)
New Delhi: The Supreme Court registry has flagged 14 procedural defects in a petition filed by Congress leader Rahul Gandhi and other INDIA bloc leaders challenging the Election Commission of India’s decisions and alleged irregularities in the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls. The objections need to be addressed before the petition can proceed towards listing for a hearing.
Among the objections are missing or unsigned authorisations from nine petitioners, an unclear photocopy of Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge’s identity card and deficiencies in supporting documents. The registry has also pointed out issues involving illegible text, missing pages, document formatting and page numbering.
The petition’s court fee has reportedly fallen short by Rs 220. The legal team will need to rectify the identified deficiencies and comply with the registry’s requirements.
The petition was filed by Rahul Gandhi along with Kharge and several other opposition leaders, including Samajwadi Party chief Akhilesh Yadav, Trinamool Congress MP Saugata Roy, RJD leader Tejashwi Yadav and Shiv Sena (UBT) leader Sanjay Raut.
The petition challenges aspects of the SIR process and raises concerns about the functioning and decision-making of the Election Commission. The opposition leaders have sought greater transparency in electoral roll revisions and safeguards against the alleged arbitrary deletion of eligible voters.
Their demands include an independent audit of electoral roll changes, access to relevant Election Commission records and an interim suspension of the ongoing SIR exercise. They have also sought measures to ensure that eligible voters receive notice and an opportunity to respond before their names are removed.
The registry’s objections are procedural and do not amount to a judicial decision on the merits of the allegations. The petitioners must first address the deficiencies before the matter can move forward in the Supreme Court.
The development comes amid an escalating political confrontation between the opposition and the Election Commission over electoral roll revisions and demands for accountability from Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar.
