Shortfall of Rs 220 fees, illegible ID, missing documents: Supreme Court registry fags 14 defects in INDIA bloc’s petition

The filing came after INDIA bloc leaders marched towards the Supreme Court, demanding the resignation of CEC Gyanesh Kumar over alleged irregularities in the electoral process.

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 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.

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.

Legibility and documentation issues flagged

The registry has raised concerns over the clarity and legibility of the petition and its accompanying documents, including the use of small fonts and other discrepancies.

Under the Supreme Court Rules, 2013, the petitioners must rectify the defects before the matter can be listed for hearing.

The petition challenges the SIR exercise, alleging large-scale voter deletions and irregularities in the revision of electoral rolls.

Who are the petitioners?

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.

The respondents named in the petition are the Election Commission of India, Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) Gyanesh Kumar and Election Commissioners Sukhbir Singh Sandhu and Vivek Joshi.

Petition follows INDIA bloc protest March

The filing came after INDIA bloc leaders marched towards the Supreme Court on Monday, demanding the resignation of CEC Gyanesh Kumar over alleged irregularities in the electoral process.

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.

Earlier today, Opposition leaders approached the Supreme Court, challenging the Election Commission of India’s implementation of the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls. They have alleged procedural lapses and called for an independent audit of voter databases and deletions.

Filed under Article 32 of the Constitution, the petition seeks a halt to the nationwide SIR exercise until the issues raised are adjudicated. It also calls for an independent committee led by a retired Supreme Court judge to review the implementation of the revision process and examine the technical systems governing electoral rolls and Electronic Voting Machines (EVMs).

The petitioners have questioned whether the Chief Election Commissioner exercised the Election Commission’s collective powers without the knowledge or approval of the other Election Commissioners.

They have also sought the disclosure of all records related to the decision to launch the nationwide SIR, including files, minutes, official notings and objections raised by the commissioners.

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