The Supreme Court on Tuesday issued notice to the Election Commission of India on a writ petition questioning why Assam has been excluded from the nationwide Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls ahead of the 2026 Assembly elections. The petition argues that despite Assam’s longstanding concerns regarding illegal migration as repeatedly acknowledged in recent judicial pronouncements, including the ruling in In Re: Section 6A of the Citizenship Act, the State has been subjected only to a limited “Special Revision,” unlike the more rigorous verification process mandated elsewhere.

Senior Advocate Vijay Hansaria, representing the petitioner, contended that Assam had been unjustifiably treated differently even though the ECI had earlier indicated that SIR would be undertaken across the country. The Bench, led by Chief Justice of India Surya Kant and Justice Joymalya Bagchi, observed that the ECI may have acted in view of Assam’s distinct statutory framework involving foreigner tribunals, though this had not been formally clarified by the Commission.

While the petitioner sought an immediate halt to the ongoing process in Assam, the Court declined to grant interim relief without first hearing the ECI, and scheduled the matter for further consideration next Tuesday.