Allahabad High Court Rejects Plea to Apply SIR Guidelines to Panchayat Poll Roll Revision in Uttar Pradesh

Lucknow, Dec 19, 2025: The Lucknow bench of the Allahabad High Court has dismissed a public interest litigation (PIL) seeking the application of the Election Commission of India’s (ECI) Special Intensive Revision (SIR) guidelines for the upcoming three-tier panchayat elections in Uttar Pradesh. The order was passed on December 17 by a division bench comprising Chief Justice Arun Bhansali and Justice Jaspreet Singh. The PIL was filed by Narendra Kumar Tripathi, a resident of Sant Kabir Nagar, who sought a direction for the State Election Commission (SEC), Uttar Pradesh, and the ECI to implement the SIR framework used for Lok Sabha and Vidhan Sabha elections in the panchayat electoral process. Tripathi argued that since the ECI had issued SIR guidelines on June 24, 2025, for cleaning and updating electoral rolls, the SEC should not have conducted a separate revision process for the panchayat polls through notifications issued on October 7 and November 18, 2025. The petitioner highlighted that running two separate revision processes would amount to a “double process,” unnecessarily consuming public time and the effort of government officials. He contended that a uniform system based on SIR guidelines would ensure transparency, efficiency, and consistency in the electoral roll revision, reducing confusion and duplication of work. However, the court observed that the SEC’s revision process for the panchayat elections was already at an advanced stage. The bench noted that the procedure had commenced significantly earlier, and the provisional electoral rolls were about to be published on December 23, 2025. Considering the stage of the process, the court concluded that it would not be practical to intervene at this point. Consequently, the plea was dismissed, allowing the SEC to continue with its existing procedures. Officials from the SEC stated that the current revision process includes verification of voter information, updating addresses, and removing duplicate or ineligible entries. The Commission emphasized that the process is designed to ensure fair and accurate voter rolls for the three-tier panchayat elections scheduled in early 2026. Political parties and Booth Level Officers (BLOs) are actively involved in the verification process, ensuring that the final rolls reflect the current eligible electorate accurately. The court’s decision underscores the judiciary’s approach of respecting the administrative timeline of electoral processes, even when discrepancies in procedural methods are raised. The SEC has maintained that while the process differs from the ECI’s SIR method, it remains transparent and comprehensive, with adequate checks to prevent errors. With the provisional lists set to be published on December 23, stakeholders now have a short window to review and submit claims or objections before the final electoral rolls are finalized for the panchayat elections. The dismissal of the PIL ensures that the ongoing revision process continues without legal hindrance, keeping the election schedule on track while balancing concerns about electoral integrity and administrative feasibility. The outcome highlights the ongoing challenge in managing electoral roll updates in India, especially when different levels of governance employ slightly different procedures, and emphasizes the importance of timely action in the context of upcoming elections. Allahabad High Court Rejects Plea to Apply SIR Guidelines to Panchayat Poll Roll Revision in Uttar Pradesh The Allahabad High Court has dismissed a PIL seeking the implementation of the Election Commission of India’s (ECI) Special Intensive Revision (SIR) guidelines for the upcoming three-tier panchayat elections in Uttar Pradesh. The order was passed by a division bench of Chief Justice Arun Bhansali and Justice Jaspreet Singh on December 17. The petition, filed by Narendra Kumar Tripathi from Sant Kabir Nagar, asked the court to direct the State Election Commission (SEC) and the ECI to use the same SIR framework for the panchayat polls as is applied for Lok Sabha and Vidhan Sabha elections. Tripathi argued that running two separate revision processes wastes public time and the effort of government officials. The petitioner claimed that the SEC’s separate notifications from October and November 2025 created a “double process” instead of following the SIR method issued by ECI in June 2025. The court, however, said that the SEC’s revision process was already at an advanced stage and that the provisional electoral rolls were about to be published on December 23, 2025. Given the progress, the bench declined to interfere and dismissed the plea, allowing the SEC to continue its ongoing process. The SEC is currently verifying voter details, updating addresses, and removing duplicates. Booth Level Officers (BLOs) and political party representatives are involved in the process to ensure accuracy. Officials say the method is different from the SIR system but is still transparent and thorough. The decision means the panchayat elections’ voter roll revision will continue without interruption. With provisional lists coming out on December 23, voters will have a chance to raise objections before the final rolls are published. The judgment highlights the challenge of managing electoral updates efficiently while keeping election schedules on track.