NEW DELHI: The Supreme Court on Friday agreed to hear, on November 11, a plea filed by Tamil Nadu's ruling Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK) challenging the Election Commission of India’s (ECI) order directing a Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls in the state.
Chief Justice of India (CJI) B.R. Gavai agreed to hear the writ petition, filed by party leader and former Rajya Sabha MP R.S. Bharathi, on Tuesday after it was mentioned for urgent listing.
The plea filed under Article 32 of the Constitution has sought to quash the ECI’s October 27 order, which extended the SIR exercise -- first initiated in Bihar in June -- to several states, including Tamil Nadu, Gujarat, Kerala, and Uttar Pradesh.
"The SIR orders, if not set aside, will arbitrarily and without due process disenfranchise lakhs of voters from electing their representatives, thereby disrupting free and fair elections and democracy in the country, which are part of the basic structure of the Constitution, " the petition stated.