Story perspectives

Supreme Court rejects Maharashtra voter roll deadline extension

By Drooid · Oct 26, 2026, 4:51 PM UTC · How we work

Summary

Supreme Court Refuses Extension

Supreme Court refused to extend the deadline for claims and objections in Maharashtra’s roll revision.
Chief Justice Surya Kant said deleted voters will not be prosecuted for reapplying.
Arvind Datar said about 33 percent of Maharashtra’s nine-crore voters—three crore—were removed, including 1.22 crore for “logical discrepancy.”
Bench issued notice to the Election Commission and set a hearing for November 5.
The claims deadline stays October 26, and the draft roll will be published November 6.

Summary

Rahul Gandhi Challenges SIR

Rahul Gandhi filed a petition contesting the SIR, alleging it favors the BJP.
Former Chief Election Commissioner SY Quraishi warned that using Form 6 after deletion is criminal.
BJP-ruled states link SIR deletions to denial of ration cards for residents.
The Supreme Court upheld the SIR’s legality in May 2025 and barred the Election Commission from deciding citizenship.
A Delhi High Court order on Oct 19 declared prosecution fears over Form 6 filings misplaced.

History

Historical Context

Since independence the Election Commission has periodically revised rolls, with intensive revisions in 1992-95 and a special intensive revision in 2002-04 that set firm update cycles; the 2025-26 nationwide Special Intensive Revision deleted about 130 million names, a step the Supreme Court upheld in May 2026, and the Commission’s refusal to extend Maharashtra’s deadline and the Delhi High Court’s dismissal of Form 6 prosecutions reflect that entrenched authority.

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Supreme Court Refuses Extension

Supreme Court refused to extend the deadline for claims and objections in Maharashtra’s roll revision.
Chief Justice Surya Kant said deleted voters will not be prosecuted for reapplying.
Arvind Datar said about 33 percent of Maharashtra’s nine-crore voters—three crore—were removed, including 1.22 crore for “logical discrepancy.”
Bench issued notice to the Election Commission and set a hearing for November 5.
The claims deadline stays October 26, and the draft roll will be published November 6.

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