Supreme Court hearing on SIR LIVE updates: ECI's SIR order doesn't clearly state it is about illegal immigration, notes Bench

The Supreme Court on Thursday (January 22, 2026) continued hearing petitions from Trinamool Congress leaders alleging discrepancies in the conduct of the Special Intensive Revisions (SIR) in West Bengal, which led to exclusions from the electoral roll.

The Court on Wednesday said the Election Commission of India (ECI) is blessed with the “widest discretions” but its “deviations” while revising electoral rolls, as in the ongoing Special Intensive Revision (SIR) 2025 exercise, cannot be “untrammelled or unregulated” in breach of principles of natural justice and procedure prescribed under the Registration of Electors Rules of 1960.

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Senior advocate Rakesh Dwivedi, for the ECI, submitted that the SIR 2025 was “sustainable” under Article 324 (power of superintendence, direction and control of ECI over preparing electoral rolls and conducting elections) read with Section 21(3) of the Representation of the People Act, 1950.

Supreme Court hearing on SIR highlights - January 21, 2026