Supreme Court hearing on SIR LIVE updates: ECI to conclude arguments against West Bengal petitions
Summary: Election Commission’s discretion during SIR is not an unregulated power: Supreme Court
The Supreme Court on Wednesday (January 21, 2026) said the Election Commission of India (ECI) has the “widest discretion” but the “deviations” it makes while reviewing voter lists, as in the ongoing Special Intensive Revision (SIR) 2025 exercise, cannot be “free or unregulated” in violation of the principles of natural justice and the procedure prescribed under the 1960 Voter Registration Rules.
“You have the power to deviate, but not by discarding the Rules… Form 6 has six notified documents, while in your SIR there are 11 documents. Can you increase or eliminate the documents already designated?” Justice Joymalya Bagchi, a member of the Division Bench chaired by Chief Justice of India Surya Kant, asked this question to the ECI.
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Supreme Court: Election Commission’s discretionary power during SIR is not an unregulated power
The Supreme Court emphasizes that the Electoral Commission’s discretion to change the electoral rolls must remain orderly and transparent.
