Overview
- The dispute has moved from legal validity to implementation with nationwide protests and a Supreme Court petition pressing the Election Commission on how SIR was carried out.
- The ECI told the Bombay High Court that a name missing from a SIR draft roll is not automatically deleted and that affected voters must file Form 6 during the claims and objections period to be included in the final roll.
- A September 23 investigation reported formal objections by two Election Commissioners to SIR decisions, fueling opposition calls for the Chief Election Commissioner’s resignation and public release of internal records.
- Central and state BJP leaders have defended SIR, citing large numbers identified as deceased, migrated or duplicate entries and urging errors be corrected through statutory channels.
- Tuesday’s protests and the INDIA bloc petition seek an independent audit and interim suspension of SIR while courts handle procedural challenges, with the outcome likely to shape voter access and political narratives ahead of national elections.