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Congress leader Rahul Gandhi filed a Supreme Court petition against CEC Gyanesh Kumar, seeking suspension of electoral roll revisions and an audit of voter deletions -- Photo: CNBC

New Delhi: India’s opposition alliance has filed a petition in the Supreme Court challenging changes to voter lists, alleging irregularities in the revision process and seeking safeguards against the removal of eligible voters. The move follows protests in New Delhi over the changes.

Opposition questions voter deletions

The petition was filed by opposition leaders, including Congress leader Rahul Gandhi and Mallikarjun Kharge, who have called for an audit of the deleted names and greater transparency in the Election Commission’s decisions.

The revision process, which began last year, has resulted in more than 130 million names being removed from electoral rolls. The figures include people reported to have died, moved to other locations or could not be traced. Opposition parties say the process risks excluding eligible voters.

Protests held in New Delhi

Thousands of opposition supporters marched towards the Supreme Court on Monday, demanding accountability over the changes. Protesters also called for Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar to resign.

The demonstration took place amid heightened security and traffic restrictions in the capital, following days of protests over the voter list revision.

Election Commission faces scrutiny

The petition also questions aspects of the Election Commission’s decision-making and seeks safeguards to prevent arbitrary deletions. The opposition has argued that the revision could affect eligible voters and the fairness of elections.

The ruling Bharatiya Janata Party has rejected the opposition’s criticism, accusing it of politicising the issue. The Supreme Court’s consideration of the petition is expected to determine the next steps in the legal challenge.