New Delhi, February 19 The Supreme Court on Thursday refused to entertain a public interest litigation (PIL) seeking directions to the Election Commission to conduct a special, intensive revision (SIR) of electoral rolls in Assam, ahead of the upcoming elections.
A bench comprising Chief Justice of India (CJI) Surya Kant and Justices Joymalya Bagchi and Vipul M Pancholi noted the submissions of the election panel that the final electoral rolls have already been prepared in Assam, and the petition is now moot.
The PIL, filed by Mrinal Kumar Choudhary, challenged the EC's decision to conduct a standard Special Revision in Assam instead of the more rigorous SIR conducted in other states.
During the proceedings, senior advocate Vijay Hansaria, representing the petitioner, argued that the state required an intensive revision to ensure the integrity of the rolls.
However, senior advocate D S Naidu, representing the election panel, informed the bench that the final electoral roll for Assam had already been published on February 10.
"Nothing can be done now," the CJI said.
The bench emphasized the sensitivity of the matter, noting that under the current legislative and judicial framework, the EC is not empowered to arbitrarily declare individuals as foreigners, as statutory cut-off dates and specialized tribunals govern such determinations.
"You need to be very careful and sensitive," the CJI told Hansaria.
The PIL sought a direction to quash the election panel's memo dated November 17, 2025, which ordered a Special Revision instead of an SIR in Assam.
It also sought a direction for the SIR on the same parameters as the one conducted in Bihar in June 2025, ahead of the 2026 Assam assembly elections.
The plea had also sought the exclusion of Aadhaar as a relevant document for inclusion in the electoral rolls.
Following the conclusion of the Special Revision, data from the chief electoral officer revealed that the total voter count in Assam has dropped by 2.43 lakh.