Supreme Court Seeks Election Commission Response on Electoral Roll Revision Petition

The Supreme Court of India has provisionally allowed Shiv Sena-UBT leader Sanjay Raut's participation in a petition filed by Rahul Gandhi and 12 opposition leaders over alleged irregularities in the Special Intensive Revision of electoral rolls, pending his explanation of his conduct. The bench directed the Election Commission, Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar, and election commissioners Sukhbir Singh Sandhu and Vivek Joshi to respond to the petition. The opposition leaders are seeking an independent audit committee, headed by a retired Supreme Court judge, to examine deletions and modifications in the electoral rolls.