SC notice to EC on plea seeking SIR of electoral rolls in Assam

The Supreme Court on Tuesday issued a notice to the Election Commission on a petition seeking Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls in Assam ahead of the 2026 Assembly elections in the state.

Petitioner Mrinal Kumar Choudhury, former President of the Gauhati High Court Bar Association, has challenged the poll panel’s decision to conduct only a “special revision” of the electoral roll in Assam instead of an SIR.

A Bench of Chief Justice of India Surya Kant and Justice Joymalya Bagchi agreed to take up the matter next Tuesday after senior counsel Vijay Hansaria submitted on behalf of the petitioner that Assam has been kept out of SIR despite having a large presence of illegal immigrants.

Hansaria pointed out that the EC had earlier told the top court that it would conduct a pan-India SIR. “I don’t understand why Assam is singled out. Nothing is required in Assam. No document required,” he told the Bench.

As Hansaria sought a stay on revision of electoral rolls in Assam, the Bench wasn’t inclined to consider it without hearing the poll panel.

On October 27, the Election Commission announced the conduct of the second phase of the SIR exercise in 12 states and Union Territories between November 2025 and February 2026.

Assam — which is not in the SIR list — has less rigorous ‘special revision’ of roll revision process.

Special revision does not require electors to submit documents proving citizenship, age or residence. In contrast, special intensive revision mandates production of documents to justify inclusion in the voter list, the petitioner said, emphasising that given Assam’s history of large-scale illegal immigration, the state needed stricter verification.

Hansaria said the top court, in its recent judgment in “In Re: Section 6A, Citizenship Act – the problem of infiltration in Assam”, had underscored the issue.

However, the EC was not asking people in Assam to submit any documents while submitting enumeration forms, Hansaria said.

“They (EC) might have done it so because of the special laws in Assam, the constitution of foreigners’ tribunals, etc. Might be,” the CJI said. The EC has not said anything on record, Hansaria said.