Maharashtra SIR: SC notice to ECI over deletion of 3 crore voters

New Delhi: In a writ petition challenging the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls in Maharashtra, the Supreme Court on Monday issued a notice to the Election Commission of India (ECI) but refused to grant immediate relief over the deletion of millions of voters.

A bench comprising Chief Justice of India Surya Kant and Justices Joymalya Bagchi and V. Mohana declined to order an extension of the claims and objections deadline or halt publication of the final voters’ list without first hearing the poll body. The case will be heard next on November 5, Live Law reported.

Senior advocate Arvind P. Datar, appearing for petitioner Arun Anandagiri, told the court that around three crore voters had been removed from Maharashtra’s draft rolls, which contain approximately nine crore voters. Of these, 1.22 crore were flagged for logical discrepancies.

Datar challenged the ECI’s direction asking deleted voters to register afresh using Form 6, arguing that it is intended for first-time voters and requires a declaration that applicants have never voted before. He sought a separate form to prevent previously registered voters from potentially making a false declaration.

The petition also sought to prevent the final electoral roll from being published on November 16, citing the scale of deletions and the time required to restore eligible voters. Datar highlighted substantial removals in Mumbai and Pune, including residents reportedly marked absent amid redevelopment-related relocations.

Maharashtra currently has 59.75 lakh unmapped people and 62.48 lakh flagged for logical discrepancies, together accounting for approximately 1.22 crore voters.

The court declined interim intervention pending the ECI’s response.