The Supreme Court’s verdict on the Election Commission’s Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls was, in many ways, a fait accompli. Once the court allowed the Election Commission of India to proceed with the exercise first in Bihar and later in Assam, West Bengal, Kerala, Tamil Nadu, and Puducherry, the direction of the judgement had become evident.

Governments elected on the basis of revised electoral rolls are already in office. Any declaration striking down the process as unconstitutional would have destabilised not only state governments but also public confidence in the electoral system itself. The court, therefore, confined itself largely to procedural questions and reaffirmed the Election Commission’s constitutional authority under........

© Free Press Journal