Supreme Court Dismisses Plea Challenging 'Logical Discrepancy' Category Applied By ECI In West Bengal SIR

The Supreme Court today refused to entertain the writ petition challenging the 'logical discrepancy' category in the West Bengal SIR.

The bench of CJI Surya Kant and Justices Joymalya Bagchi and Vipul Pancholi was hearing the plea.

At the outset, the CJI declined to entertain the plea on the basis of the limitation of Article 32 jurisdiction. The CJI asked : "In Article 32, you want us to decide who is your father, your mother, your brother?"

The bench dismissed the plea, while granting liberty to the petitioner to make a representation before the ECI. The order reads :

" We see no grounds to entertain this writ petition...the petitioner, however, has a right to submit his objections, which shall be considered by the prescribed authorities strictly in accordance with law."

The petitioner sought a declaration that that the application of the "Logical Discrepancy" criteria in the Special Intensive Revision of electoral rolls in the State of West Bengal is ultra vires the provisions of Article 14 and Article 324 of the Constitution. He also challenged the notice issued to the him pursuant to the impugned "Logical Discrepancy" criteria.

In West Bengal, the ECI put some persons, who were included in the draft roll, in the logical discrepancy category, over mismatches or anomalies in voter details, including spelling variations, inconsistencies in parental or age information, and other data irregularities identified by system-generated algorithms, which are being used as grounds for summoning voters for quasi-judicial hearings.

On January 19, the bench had issued a set of directions to the Election Commission of India(ECI) to ensure that the verification of the persons put in the 'logical discrepancies' category is conducted in a transparent manner, without causing stress and inconvenience to the persons.

The said directions were issued in a batch of petitions challenging the West Bengal SIR.

Case Details : MD ZIMFARHAD NOWAJ vs. ELECTION COMMISSION OF INDIA| W.P.(C) No. 000161 / 2026