Story perspectives

Supreme Court to hear West Bengal SIR appeals October 5

By Drooid · Sep 29, 2026, 10:41 AM UTC · How we work

Summary

Story summary

India’s Supreme Court scheduled a hearing on West Bengal SIR appeals for October 5, a day before by-elections.
Chief Justice Surya Kant declined to list petitioner Prasenjit Bose’s urgent application before the Oct 5 hearing.
Election Commission reported 38,31,429 total SIR appeals, 22,21,118 by excluded voters, and only 1,26,194 decided.
EC launched a special re-enrollment drive using revised Form 6 after criticism of the SIR process.

History

Historical Context

Since Article 324 gave the Election Commission authority to revise rolls, India moved from annual summary updates (pre-1966) to intensive revisions before each election. The Commission announced a Special Intensive Revision on 27 October 2025, cutting the national electorate by 10.2 % and sparking controversy in West Bengal. In May 2026 the Supreme Court upheld the SIR, and the court now reviews pending West Bengal appeals.

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Story summary

India’s Supreme Court scheduled a hearing on West Bengal SIR appeals for October 5, a day before by-elections.
Chief Justice Surya Kant declined to list petitioner Prasenjit Bose’s urgent application before the Oct 5 hearing.
Election Commission reported 38,31,429 total SIR appeals, 22,21,118 by excluded voters, and only 1,26,194 decided.
EC launched a special re-enrollment drive using revised Form 6 after criticism of the SIR process.

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