Gangtok: The Supreme Court on Monday declined to interfere with the Election Commission of India’s decision to use the 2002 electoral roll as the reference point for the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls in Sikkim.
A Bench comprising Chief Justice of India Surya Kant, Justice Joymalya Bagchi and Justice V Mohana was hearing a Public Interest Litigation filed by Sikkimese Mulniwasi Suraksha Sangh (SMSS), a registered public trust, challenging the use of the 2002 electoral roll.
The petitioner sought special treatment for Sikkim, arguing that an earlier Intensive Revision conducted in 1979, 1983, 1988 or 1993 should be used instead. It argued that Sikkim’s demographic profile differed from that of other states and questioned the rationale for selecting 2002 as the reference year.
The Election Commission told the Bench that an SIR had already been conducted in Sikkim in 2002 and that the last available SIR electoral roll was therefore being used as the reference point.
It also informed the court that the process of considering claims and objections was underway, with the final electoral roll scheduled to be published on September 6.
Justice Bagchi questioned why the reference point should be moved back to 1993 when an SIR had already been conducted in 2002. He also noted that adopting a different reference year for Sikkim could result in an asymmetrical approach to the SIR exercise being undertaken across the country.
Chief Justice Surya Kant questioned why the matter had been brought before the court when no political party or other stakeholder in Sikkim had opposed the ECI’s decision.
In its order, the Bench noted that it was undisputed that an SIR had been conducted in Sikkim in 2002 and that the ECI had adopted a uniform year on a pan-India basis.
The court described the decision as “essentially a policy decision” and said it did not find the matter fit for judicial review in the absence of opposition from political parties or other stakeholders in the state.
“We see no good ground to interfere with fixation of the year,” the Bench said.
The Supreme Court accordingly declined to interfere with the ECI’s decision, while allowing the petitioner to pursue the matter with the concerned stakeholder.
The case was heard in Sikkimese Mulniwasi Suraksha Sangh (SMSS), a Registered Public Trust v Election Commission of India and Others, W.P.(C) No. 979/2026.
Also Read: Long before modern conservation, India was studying elephants