States, parties step up legal challenge to SIR

With the Bihar elections over, multiple state governments and political parties - particularly those headed for polls in the coming years - have approached the courts against the Election Commission's Special Intensive Revision (SIR) exercise conducted in Bihar.

The Tamil Nadu and West Bengal governments have already moved court, while Samajwadi Party chief Akhilesh Yadav on Monday said his party will also approach the Supreme Court. The SP has set up a dedicated unit, SIR PDA Prahari, to monitor the EC's SIR process in Uttar Pradesh. Yadav said the unit will help people enrol correctly and ensure "no SP voter is removed" from the rolls.

In Tamil Nadu, the opposition AIADMK has also filed a petition - but in support of SIR - making it the only major party to back the exercise. In Kerala, the LDF government, the CPI(M) and the Congress have separately moved the Supreme Court, seeking to halt SIR until after the local body elections.


With multiple states and parties lining up legal challenges, SIR is emerging as a major flashpoint between the NDA and the opposition. Union home minister Amit Shah has described the BJP's Bihar victory as a mandate for the exercise and for "removal of infiltrators" from voter lists.