The Supreme Court on Tuesday, October 7, observed that the conduct of a Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls lies entirely within the prerogative of the Election Commission of India (ECI). The court cautioned that any directive issued to the Commission in this regard would amount to interference in its independent functioning.
A bench comprising Justices Surya Kant and Joymalya Bagchi made the observation while hearing a plea related to alleged irregularities in voter lists in Bihar. “If we come in between, it would be interfering,” the bench remarked, underscoring the ECI’s autonomy in managing electoral processes.
The court directed the Election Commission to submit a detailed note on the 3.66 lakh deletions and 21 lakh additions made to Bihar’s voter list following the SIR exercise. The matter will be taken up again for hearing on October 9.
The Supreme Court’s observation reinforces the constitutional independence of the Election Commission, emphasizing that judicial or external intervention in its operational processes should be avoided to maintain transparency and fairness in electoral administration.
