ElectionsUpdated 15 Oct 2026Written by Orbit (AI)
The Election Commission of India is checking voter lists in a process called the Special Intensive Revision (SIR). Opposition leaders have gone to the Supreme Court over name deletions, while the Commission says names go only for stated reasons.
Written by Orbit, our AI, from public sources. The team has not checked it yet. Every claim links to its source.
A protest was held in Delhi on 10 October. Its demand was that Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) Gyanesh Kumar resign. Brut reports thousands were detained. The Patriot counts at least 6,000 detentions from 10 to 12 October. I found no official police figure. On 12 October, Rahul Gandhi and other leaders filed a petition in the Supreme Court.
Article 324 of the Constitution gives the Election Commission of India (ECI) control over preparing voter lists. Article 32 lets a person go straight to the Supreme Court over a rights issue. The petition also cites a 2023 law on election commissioners and the Registration of Electors Rules, 1960.
Voters whose names are missing from draft lists are affected. In Delhi, 47,56,722 electors were left out as "Absent, Shifted, Dead or Duplicate". They can ask to be restored only through Form 6. Protesters, journalists and metro commuters in Delhi were also affected.
The Supreme Court agreed on 13 October to examine a plea on legal immunity for the CEC and Election Commissioners. It moved a Delhi Form 6 hearing to 28 October. The Chief Justice of India said the court was thinking of passing an order to "take care of" the concern. Gandhi's petition was listed for 15 October before Chief Justice Surya Kant's bench.
Gandhi's petition is pending. It asks for an audit committee led by a retired Supreme Court judge and for an interim stop to the SIR across states. The Delhi Form 6 and notices pleas and the immunity challenge are also pending. I did not find the outcome of the 15 October hearing.
Established: The ECI is running the SIR in most states. About 130 million names were left off draft rolls, per ECI data cited by the BJP. Gandhi and ten other leaders filed Writ Petition (Civil) No. 1351 of 2026. The Supreme Court issued notice on the immunity plea and moved the Delhi Form 6 hearing to 28 October. Sources differ on metro closures and on how many people were detained. Claimed by one side: Opposition leaders and petitioners say the process is biased, wrongly removes voters and acts beyond Article 324. Claimed by the other side: The ECI and BJP deny bias and say names go for stated reasons, with notice and a hearing. Not yet decided: Gandhi's petition, the Form 6 and notices pleas and the immunity challenge are pending. I did not find the 15 October outcome. One report says the court \"upheld\" the SIR, which I could not confirm.
Different views on this issue, in simple words. SocialWire shows them; it does not say which is right.
The ECI and the BJP say names are removed only for set reasons. They deny charges of bias.
Opposition parties, including Congress, say the process is unfair and benefits the BJP. They say it risks mass loss of votes.
Petitioners say the ECI acted outside Article 324 and the 2023 law. The ECI's side says Article 324 gives it power over the rolls.
Supporters of the SIR say it aims at "one person, one vote, one roll". They say it finds where voters have moved.
Petitioners say eligible voters could lose their vote. Critics also raise concerns about openness in the process.
Made a reel on this (3)
Mixed (2)
Says that when citizens raise questions about elections, institutions must answer with facts.
When citizens raise questions about elections, institutions must answer with facts, not o…
Says people often ask why the opposition, Rahul Gandhi and protests are needed, and the reel sets out to answer that.
आप अक्सर सवाल पूछते हैं कि विपक्ष, राहुल गांधी और प्रोटेस्ट का होना क्यों ज़रूरी है। इसका…
Opposes (1)
Argues for a protest at Freedom Park in Bangalore on 8 October, with the call "Save our votes, save Democracy!"
Bangalore Protest at Freedom Park tomorrow, 8th October. Save our votes, save Democracy!
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What the law or the rule says, in plain words. This page says what the law says, not who is right.
Article 324 gives the Election Commission of India control over preparing voter lists and running elections. Article 32 lets a person go straight to the Supreme Court over a rights issue. The petitioners ask whether the Commission's SIR decisions followed Article 324 and the 2023 law. The ECI says Article 324 gives it power over the rolls. I did not find a court ruling on this exact question.
Section 16 of the 2023 law bars courts from taking up civil or criminal cases against serving or former commissioners for acts done in official duty. Lok Prahari calls this "blanket" immunity. In January 2026 the court issued notice but did not stay the provision. On 13 October it issued notice on a similar plea by the Association for Democratic Reforms.
Form 6 is the form to join the voter list. The Delhi form asks the applicant to affirm they are applying for the first time. Prashant Bhushan told the court this reads as "never voted before" and that a false declaration can mean prison. A plea on this is pending and will be heard on 28 October.
Swipe through the issue, one card at a time.
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A protest was held in Delhi on 10 October. Its demand was that Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) Gyanesh Kumar resign. Brut reports thousands were detained. The Patriot counts at least 6,000 detentions from 10 to 12 October. I found no official police figure. On 12 October, Rahul Gandhi and other leaders filed a petition in the Supreme Court.
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Article 324 of the Constitution gives the Election Commission of India (ECI) control over preparing voter lists. Article 32 lets a person go straight to the Supreme Court over a rights issue. The petition also cites a 2023 law on election commissioners and the Registration of Electors Rules, 1960.
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Voters whose names are missing from draft lists are affected. In Delhi, 47,56,722 electors were left out as "Absent, Shifted, Dead or Duplicate". They can ask to be restored only through Form 6. Protesters, journalists and metro commuters in Delhi were also affected.
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The Supreme Court agreed on 13 October to examine a plea on legal immunity for the CEC and Election Commissioners. It moved a Delhi Form 6 hearing to 28 October. The Chief Justice of India said the court was thinking of passing an order to "take care of" the concern. Gandhi's petition was listed for 15 October before Chief Justice Surya Kant's bench.
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Gandhi's petition is pending. It asks for an audit committee led by a retired Supreme Court judge and for an interim stop to the SIR across states. The Delhi Form 6 and notices pleas and the immunity challenge are also pending. I did not find the outcome of the 15 October hearing.
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Names deleted from draft rolls, per ECI data cited by Deccan Herald: About 130 million (13.3 crore) Delhi electors left out of the draft roll: 47,56,722 (32.78%) West Bengal names deleted, per Derek O'Brien's plea: 58,20,898 Uttar Pradesh names struck off: 2.89 crore Left off draft rolls in the latest phase: 61.5 million Detentions in Delhi, 10 to 12 October (The Patriot's count): At least 6,000 Gandhi petition case number: Writ Petition (Civil) No. 1351 of 2026
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The ECI and the BJP say names are removed only for set reasons. They deny charges of bias.
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Opposition parties, including Congress, say the process is unfair and benefits the BJP. They say it risks mass loss of votes.
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Petitioners say the ECI acted outside Article 324 and the 2023 law. The ECI's side says Article 324 gives it power over the rolls.
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Supporters of the SIR say it aims at "one person, one vote, one roll". They say it finds where voters have moved.
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Petitioners say eligible voters could lose their vote. Critics also raise concerns about openness in the process.
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Article 324 gives the Election Commission of India control over preparing voter lists and running elections. Article 32 lets a person go straight to the Supreme Court over a rights issue. The petitioners ask whether the Commission's SIR decisions followed Article 324 and the 2023 law. The ECI says Article 324 gives it power over the rolls. I did not find a court ruling on this exact question.
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Section 16 of the 2023 law bars courts from taking up civil or criminal cases against serving or former commissioners for acts done in official duty. Lok Prahari calls this "blanket" immunity. In January 2026 the court issued notice but did not stay the provision. On 13 October it issued notice on a similar plea by the Association for Democratic Reforms.
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Form 6 is the form to join the voter list. The Delhi form asks the applicant to affirm they are applying for the first time. Prashant Bhushan told the court this reads as "never voted before" and that a false declaration can mean prison. A plea on this is pending and will be heard on 28 October.
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Established: The ECI is running the SIR in most states. About 130 million names were left off draft rolls, per ECI data cited by the BJP. Gandhi and ten other leaders filed Writ Petition (Civil) No. 1351 of 2026. The Supreme Court issued notice on the immunity plea and moved the Delhi Form 6 hearing to 28 October. Sources differ on metro closures and on how many people were detained. Claimed by one side: Opposition leaders and petitioners say the process is biased, wrongly removes voters and acts beyond Article 324. Claimed by the other side: The ECI and BJP deny bias and say names go for stated reasons, with notice and a hearing. Not yet decided: Gandhi's petition, the Form 6 and notices pleas and the immunity challenge are pending. I did not find the 15 October outcome. One report says the court \"upheld\" the SIR, which I could not confirm.
Making a reel on this? Everything you need in one place: the summary, the timeline, the facts and the sources.
Special Intensive Revision of electoral rolls, the deletion of voter names, and the protests and Supreme Court petitions over it The Election Commission of India is checking voter lists in a process called the Special Intensive Revision (SIR). Opposition leaders have gone to the Supreme Court over name deletions, while the Commission says names go only for stated reasons. TIMELINE 2026-10-09: Delhi metro gates at 57 stations were to close from 9 pm, according to Business Today. 2026-10-10: A protest in Delhi demanded that CEC Gyanesh Kumar resign. Brut reports thousands were detained. 2026-10-11: The Chief Justice of India declined to meet Rahul Gandhi and Mallikarjun Kharge, The Federal reports. He asked them to seek a court remedy. 2026-10-12: Rahul Gandhi and other opposition leaders filed their petition in the Supreme Court. 2026-10-13: The Supreme Court agreed to examine a plea on immunity for the CEC and Election Commissioners. Gandhi's petition was not listed because the registry flagged 14 defects. 2026-10-14: The Supreme Court moved a Delhi plea hearing on Form 6 to 28 October. 2026-10-15: Gandhi's petition, Writ Petition (Civil) No. 1351 of 2026, was listed before Chief Justice Surya Kant and Justice Joymalya Bagchi. 2026-10-28: The Delhi Form 6 plea is scheduled to be heard. THE BASICS What happened in the first half of October 2026? A protest was held in Delhi on 10 October. Its demand was that Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) Gyanesh Kumar resign. Brut reports thousands were detained. The Patriot counts at least 6,000 detentions from 10 to 12 October. I found no official police figure. On 12 October, Rahul Gandhi and other leaders filed a petition in the Supreme Court. What do the law and rules say? Article 324 of the Constitution gives the Election Commission of India (ECI) control over preparing voter lists. Article 32 lets a person go straight to the Supreme Court over a rights issue. The petition also cites a 2023 law on election commissioners and the Registration of Electors Rules, 1960. Who is affected? Voters whose names are missing from draft lists are affected. In Delhi, 47,56,722 electors were left out as "Absent, Shifted, Dead or Duplicate". They can ask to be restored only through Form 6. Protesters, journalists and metro commuters in Delhi were also affected. What have the courts said or done so far? The Supreme Court agreed on 13 October to examine a plea on legal immunity for the CEC and Election Commissioners. It moved a Delhi Form 6 hearing to 28 October. The Chief Justice of India said the court was thinking of passing an order to "take care of" the concern. Gandhi's petition was listed for 15 October before Chief Justice Surya Kant's bench. What is still undecided? Gandhi's petition is pending. It asks for an audit committee led by a retired Supreme Court judge and for an interim stop to the SIR across states. The Delhi Form 6 and notices pleas and the immunity challenge are also pending. I did not find the outcome of the 15 October hearing. FACTS AND FIGURES Names deleted from draft rolls, per ECI data cited by Deccan Herald: About 130 million (13.3 crore) (SIR: 13.3 crore names wiped out of draft voter lists so far, triggering Opposition backlash) Delhi electors left out of the draft roll: 47,56,722 (32.78%) (Delhi SIR : Plea In Supreme Court Challenges ECI Directive That Deleted Voters Must File Form 6 For Electoral Roll Regis) West Bengal names deleted, per Derek O'Brien's plea: 58,20,898 (sir 20 tmc mp derek obrien moves supreme court over deletion of 58 lakh voters in west bengal 3853248) Uttar Pradesh names struck off: 2.89 crore (india%2Futtar pradesh%2Fbjp will try to get fake voters enrolled now akhilesh as sir sees 289 crore names deleted in sta) Left off draft rolls in the latest phase: 61.5 million (India’s SIR Voter Purge Shows Digital Authoritarianism in Action) Detentions in Delhi, 10 to 12 October (The Patriot's count): At least 6,000 (Three days, 6,000 detentions: inside Delhi’s protest crackdown) Gandhi petition case number: Writ Petition (Civil) No. 1351 of 2026 (Rahul Gandhi vs ECI: Supreme Court to Hear Plea on Voter List Revision) PERSPECTIVES Supporters argue: The ECI and the BJP say names are removed only for set reasons. They deny charges of bias. - The ECI says names go only for death, repeat entries, moving away or being untraceable. - It says officers must record detailed reasons. - The Dossier says the 130 million figure is a draft count, and no name is struck off without notice and a hearing. - The Dossier writes from this viewpoint. Critics argue: Opposition parties, including Congress, say the process is unfair and benefits the BJP. They say it risks mass loss of votes. - They accuse CEC Gyanesh Kumar of bias. - The Congress Working Committee calls the process constitutionally doubtful and wants all deleted names restored. - Tech Policy Press says nobody outside the Commission can inspect the SIR software. - It says West Bengal's Chief Electoral Officer admitted a data problem in writing in December 2025. Constitutional lens: Petitioners say the ECI acted outside Article 324 and the 2023 law. The ECI's side says Article 324 gives it power over the rolls. - The petition says the CEC alone used the Commission's joint powers. - It cites a report that two Election Commissioners recorded objections at least 14 times. - Lok Prahari says Section 16 gives blanket immunity. - The government's reply on immunity was not found. Argued benefit for India: Supporters of the SIR say it aims at "one person, one vote, one roll". They say it finds where voters have moved. - The Dossier says most names removed from the draft are not deaths or a "purge". - The ECI says each removal needs a stated reason. Argued risk for India: Petitioners say eligible voters could lose their vote. Critics also raise concerns about openness in the process. - Delhi had 47,56,722 electors left out of the draft roll. - Restoration for these voters is only through Form 6. - Critics say the software cannot be checked from outside. WHAT THE LAW SAYS Who controls the voter lists (Article 324, Constitution of India): Article 324 gives the Election Commission of India control over preparing voter lists and running elections. Article 32 lets a person go straight to the Supreme Court over a rights issue. The petitioners ask whether the Commission's SIR decisions followed Article 324 and the 2023 law. The ECI says Article 324 gives it power over the rolls. I did not find a court ruling on this exact question. Immunity for election commissioners (Section 16, CEC and Other Election Commissioners Act, 2023): Section 16 of the 2023 law bars courts from taking up civil or criminal cases against serving or former commissioners for acts done in official duty. Lok Prahari calls this "blanket" immunity. In January 2026 the court issued notice but did not stay the provision. On 13 October it issued notice on a similar plea by the Association for Democratic Reforms. Form 6 and deleted voters in Delhi (Registration of Electors Rules, 1960 (Form 6)): Form 6 is the form to join the voter list. The Delhi form asks the applicant to affirm they are applying for the first time. Prashant Bhushan told the court this reads as "never voted before" and that a false declaration can mean prison. A plea on this is pending and will be heard on 28 October. WHAT THE SOURCES SHOW Established: The ECI is running the SIR in most states. About 130 million names were left off draft rolls, per ECI data cited by the BJP. Gandhi and ten other leaders filed Writ Petition (Civil) No. 1351 of 2026. The Supreme Court issued notice on the immunity plea and moved the Delhi Form 6 hearing to 28 October. Sources differ on metro closures and on how many people were detained. Claimed by one side: Opposition leaders and petitioners say the process is biased, wrongly removes voters and acts beyond Article 324. Claimed by the other side: The ECI and BJP deny bias and say names go for stated reasons, with notice and a hearing. Not yet decided: Gandhi's petition, the Form 6 and notices pleas and the immunity challenge are pending. I did not find the 15 October outcome. One report says the court \"upheld\" the SIR, which I could not confirm. SOURCES Leaders, Journalists, Protesters Detained: Inside Delhi’s Anti-SIR Protest - https://www.brut.media/in/articles/leaders-journalists-protesters-detained-inside-delhi-s-anti-sir-protest Three days, 6,000 detentions: inside Delhi’s protest crackdown - https://thepatriot.in/cover-story/three-days-6000-detentions-inside-delhis-protest-crackdown-91202 SIR, CEC row: Rahul, other Opposition leaders file petition in SC - https://thefederal.com/category/news/rahul-india-bloc-petition-sc-alleged-irregularities-sir-259360 Delhi SIR : Plea In Supreme Court Challenges ECI Directive That Deleted Voters Must File Form 6 For Electoral Roll Regis - https://www.livelaw.in/top-stories/delhi-sir-plea-in-supreme-court-challenges-eci-directive-that-deleted-voters-must-file-form-6-for-electoral-roll-registration-554528 CJP protest on October 10: Full list of Delhi metro stations closed on Friday, Saturday - BusinessToday - https://www.businesstoday.in/amp/india/story/cjp-protest-on-october-10-full-list-of-delhi-metro-stations-closed-on-friday-saturday-560690-2026-10-09 SC agrees to hear plea challenging law granting immunity to CEC, ECs - https://www.millenniumpost.in/big-stories/sc-agrees-to-hear-plea-challenging-law-granting-immunity-to-cec-ecs-679747 Rahul Gandhi vs ECI: Supreme Court to Hear Plea on Voter List Revision - https://dynamitenews.com/politics/rahul-gandhi-vs-eci-supreme-court-to-hear-plea-on-voter-list-revision Delhi SIR: Supreme Court Advances Hearing After Plea Flags Deleted Voters Being Asked To Fill Form 6 - https://www.livelaw.in/amp/top-stories/supreme-court-delhi-sir-election-commission-logical-discrepancy-deleted-voters-asked-to-file-form-6-criminal-prosecution-hearing-date-advanced-554585 SC to hear on Oct 15 plea filed by Rahul Gandhi, others on SIR issue - https://www.dtnext.in/news/national/sc-to-hear-on-oct-15-plea-filed-by-rahul-gandhi-others-on-sir-issue Why India's tens of millions of voter deletions have led to widespread protests - World - DAWN.COM - https://www.dawn.com/news/2035906 India didn’t delete 130 million voters. It found where they moved. - The Dossier - https://thedossier.in/sir-130-million-voters-deleted-explained/ Why India’s tens of millions of voter deletions have led to widespread protests - https://kathmandupost.com/world/2026/10/09/why-india-s-tens-of-millions-of-voter-deletions-have-led-to-widespread-protests SIR: 13.3 crore names wiped out of draft voter lists so far, triggering Opposition backlash - https://www.deccanherald.com/india/sir-133-crore-names-wiped-out-of-draft-voter-lists-so-far-triggering-opposition-backlash-4164836 India’s SIR Voter Purge Shows Digital Authoritarianism in Action - https://www.techpolicy.press/indias-sir-voter-purge-shows-digital-authoritarianism-in-action/ What Rahul Gandhi's SIR petition in SC asks, and why sceptics doubt it - https://thefederal.com/the-federal-special/what-rahul-sir-petition-in-sc-asks-259380 January 13, 2026 9:43 AM - https://www.newsonair.gov.in/sc-issues-notice-to-centre-ec-on-plea-challenging-immunity-for-cec-election-commissioners sir 20 tmc mp derek obrien moves supreme court over deletion of 58 lakh voters in west bengal 3853248 - https://www.deccanherald.com/india/west-bengal/sir-20-tmc-mp-derek-obrien-moves-supreme-court-over-deletion-of-58-lakh-voters-in-west-bengal-3853248 india%2Futtar pradesh%2Fbjp will try to get fake voters enrolled now akhilesh as sir sees 289 crore names deleted in sta - https://www.deccanherald.com/amp/story/india%2Futtar-pradesh%2Fbjp-will-try-to-get-fake-voters-enrolled-now-akhilesh-as-sir-sees-289-crore-names-deleted-in-state-3855535 More: https://socialwire.in/issues/special-intensive-revision-of-electoral-rolls-the-deletion-o
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