A five-member panel of former Supreme Court and High Court judges, led by former Supreme Court judge Justice Madan B Lokur, will examine the Election Commission of India’s (ECI) Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls.
The Lawyers Association for Constitution (LAFC) announced the formation of the independent commission on October 2. The panel aims to complete its inquiry and release its final report by December 2026.
The commission will examine the constitutional and statutory validity of the SIR exercise, its methodology and its overall impact on eligible voters.
It will also assess whether eligible citizens have been retained on electoral rolls and whether entries belonging to ineligible persons have been appropriately removed.
Justice Lokur to Chair Five-Member Commission
Apart from Justice Madan B Lokur, the commission includes four other former judges.
The members are:
- Former Supreme Court judge Justice A K Patnaik
- Former Chief Justice of the Jammu and Kashmir High Court Justice Badar Durrez Ahmad
- Former Delhi High Court judge Justice Rekha Sharma
- Former Patna High Court judge Justice Anjana Prakash
According to LAFC, the commission will function independently and retain exclusive responsibility for its findings and recommendations.
The association has also clarified that supporting organisations and committees will not influence the judges’ substantive decisions or conclusions.
Nationwide Public Hearings Planned
The commission plans to conduct public hearings across the country as part of its inquiry.
Full and regional benches will travel to different locations to hear testimonies from affected citizens, civil society organisations and experts.
These hearings will allow people to share their experiences of the voter roll revision process directly with the panel.
In addition, the commission will undertake empirical research and field investigations to examine the exercise’s implementation and consequences.
A dedicated research wing will collect and analyse data relating to additions and deletions from electoral rolls across the country.
Legal Scrutiny to Examine Constitutional Validity
The panel will also conduct a detailed legal examination of the laws, notifications and procedures governing the SIR exercise.
Its inquiry will focus on whether the revision process complied with constitutional and statutory requirements.
The commission will examine the safeguards available to eligible voters and assess the procedures used to identify and remove entries from electoral rolls.
The findings are expected to provide an independent assessment of the legal framework and practical impact of the revision exercise.
Senior Advocates to Provide Legal Advice
Several senior lawyers will provide strategic legal assistance to the commission.
They include Kapil Sibal, Prashant Bhushan, Chander Uday Singh, Prashanto Chandra Sen, Raju Ramachandran, Rebecca Mammen John, Warisha Farasat and Vrinda Grover.
A coordination committee and secretariat based at LAFC will support the commission’s administrative and operational work.
However, the commission will retain control over its findings and recommendations.
ECI Initiates Separate Drive to Enrol Eligible Voters
The panel’s formation comes amid continuing scrutiny of the SIR process.
Separately, the Election Commission has directed states and Union Territories where the revision has concluded to conduct a special drive to identify eligible voters who may have been left out of the electoral rolls.
The initiative includes comparing electoral rolls before and after the revision and facilitating fresh enrolment through Form 6 wherever required.
Officials have also been asked to coordinate with political parties and their booth-level agents during the exercise.
The commission’s review and the ECI’s enrolment initiative are separate processes.
Report Expected by December 2026
The Lokur-led commission is expected to complete its inquiry within the next two months.
Its work will combine public testimonies, field research, data analysis and legal scrutiny.
The final report is expected to outline the panel’s findings and recommendations concerning the SIR exercise.
The inquiry will examine both the legal framework and the practical consequences of electoral roll revision, particularly its impact on eligible voters.