New Delhi: The Supreme Court registry has flagged 14 deficiencies in a joint petition filed by Congress leader Rahul Gandhi and several opposition leaders challenging alleged electoral irregularities and the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of voter lists. The objections include a shortfall of ₹220 in court fees, missing authorisations from nine petitioners and an unclear photocopy of Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge’s identity card.

The petition was filed as thousands of people gathered in Delhi and marched towards the Supreme Court over allegations of electoral irregularities, seeking action against Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar. While leaders of the INDIA bloc were marching, their legal team filed the petition accusing the Election Commission chief of “vote theft”.

What Are the 14 Deficiencies in the Petition?

Among the objections raised by the Supreme Court registry are missing vakalatnamas, the requirement for a clearer copy of Mallikarjun Kharge’s identity card, and issues related to small font sizes. The registry also flagged the failure to submit colour copies of two specific documents.

Other issues noted include blurred or illegible text, missing pages, pages written in local languages and inconsistencies in page numbering. The petitioners will have to rectify these deficiencies before the matter can be listed for hearing in the Supreme Court.

Who Filed the Joint Petition?

The petition was filed by Rahul Gandhi, Mallikarjun Kharge, Trinamool Congress MP Saugata Roy, Akhilesh Yadav, Tejashwi Prasad Yadav, Sule, Shiv Sena (UBT) leader Sanjay Raut, D. Raja, Jharkhand Mukti Morcha’s Mahua Maji, M.A. Baby and Indian Union Muslim League leader E.T. Mohammed Basheer.

The petition names the Election Commission of India (ECI), Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar, and Election Commissioners Sukhbir Singh Sandhu and Vivek Joshi as respondents.

What Are the Opposition’s 10 Demands?

The petition outlines 10 demands by the INDIA bloc concerning the SIR process and other decisions taken by the Election Commission. These include directions to produce all records related to SIR and suspected entries in voter lists, scrutiny of the constitutional validity of SIR decisions, action against officials responsible, resolution of the petitioners’ complaints and an audit by an independent committee.

The Congress legal team filed the petition seeking 10 forms of relief in the country’s highest court one to two hours before opposition leaders reached the Supreme Court in the evening.

Opposition Leaders’ March to the Supreme Court

A large number of opposition leaders and supporters participated in Monday’s march. They gathered in central Delhi before moving towards the Supreme Court. After an unsuccessful attempt to meet Chief Justice Surya Kant, the opposition decided to approach the court through a petition.

The INDIA bloc leaders had sought a meeting with the Chief Justice to submit a memorandum demanding steps to prevent alleged vote theft, Gyanesh Kumar’s resignation, a halt to the SIR process related to voter lists and the restoration of the paper ballot system.

The Chief Justice declined the request for a meeting, stating that the matter was sub judice. However, before the march, when Justice Kant was asked how opposition leaders could raise their grievances, he said the doors of the Supreme Court were open to everyone, whether an ordinary citizen or an elected representative.