The Supreme Court registry has flagged 14 defects in a writ petition filed by Lok Sabha Leader of the Opposition Rahul Gandhi and 10 other INDIA bloc leaders challenging the Election Commission of India’s (ECI) Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls.
The registry has also pointed out a shortfall of Rs 220 in the prescribed court fee, according to the defects notified on October 12, the day the petition was filed under diary number 64196/2026.
The objections include the naming of individuals as respondents, failure to attach a copy of an earlier judgment, the absence of vakalatnamas from nine petitioners and an illegible copy of Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge’s identity card.
Besides Gandhi and Kharge, the petition has been filed by Trinamool Congress leader Saugata Roy, Samajwadi Party chief Akhilesh Yadav, RJD leader Tejashwi Prasad Yadav, Shiv Sena (UBT) leader Sanjay Raut, CPI(M) leader M.A. Baby, CPI leader D. Raja, Jharkhand Mukti Morcha leader Mahua Majhi, NCP (SP) leader Supriya Sule and Indian Union Muslim League leader E.T. Mohammed Basheer.
Earlier, Gandhi had said that Chief Justice of India (CJI) Surya Kant advised opposition leaders to approach the top court through a formal petition after they sought an appointment to raise their concerns over the SIR exercise.
