While the Election Commission maintains that Form 6 was not amended and that a separate declaration was introduced for SIR, the Supreme Court’s latest observations have raised questions over the legal and administrative basis of that requirement.
BY PC Bureau
New Delhi, October 6, 2026 — The INDIA bloc’s planned march to the Election Commission of India (ECI) headquarters was halted on Tuesday after security personnel stopped the Opposition MPs near the Akashwani building, a short distance from the poll panel’s office.
The MPs were prevented from proceeding towards Nirvachan Sadan by barricades put up on the road. As the march came to a halt, several Opposition MPs sat down and staged a dharna, while some attempted to cross the barricades.
The protest was part of the INDIA bloc’s escalating campaign against the Election Commission’s Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls and its demand for the resignation of Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar.
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The Opposition had planned to march from Parliament to the ECI headquarters under its “Save Democracy” campaign, accusing the poll panel of conducting the electoral roll revision in a manner that could disenfranchise genuine voters. The Opposition has particularly objected to the deletion of names from electoral rolls and the documentation and declaration requirements associated with the SIR exercise.
The confrontation comes a day after the Supreme Court made an important observation in the continuing dispute over Form 6. The court clarified that it had not approved any modification to Form 6, the statutory form used for inclusion of names in electoral rolls.
LIVE: Opposition MP’s Protest March Against Vote Chori | Parliament House to EC Office, New Delhi
https://t.co/8YmMirXAfx
— Govind Singh Dotasra (@GovindDotasra) October 6, 2026
The observation has given fresh ammunition to the Opposition, which has questioned the legal basis for the additional declaration introduced in connection with the SIR exercise.
The ECI, however, has maintained that Form 6 itself was not amended. It has said the additional declaration was a separate requirement for the SIR exercise and has defended the process as necessary to ensure that electoral rolls contain only eligible voters.
The Form 6 controversy has consequently emerged as one of the central issues in the wider political battle over SIR.
The Opposition has alleged that the exercise could lead to the exclusion of large numbers of legitimate voters, particularly those belonging to poorer and marginalised sections who may face difficulties producing the documents sought during the revision. The Election Commission has rejected the allegations and maintained that the exercise is intended to identify and remove duplicate, deceased and otherwise ineligible entries while ensuring that eligible citizens remain on the rolls.
Gyanesh, it’s done, bro.
Time to resign.
#IndiaAllianceMarch https://t.co/9ZB6aJfakl
— Rahul Gandhi (@RahulGandhi) October 6, 2026
Tuesday’s march was planned as part of a series of Opposition protests following a meeting of 19 Opposition parties on September 30. The parties decided to organise “Save Democracy” marches between October 2 and 8, submit a representation to the President in the second week of October and pursue their legal challenge against SIR and alleged electoral irregularities.
The Opposition has also demanded greater transparency in additions and deletions from electoral rolls, access to pre-SIR electoral rolls and an effective appeals process before any genuine voter is removed.
The INDIA bloc is expected to intensify the campaign in the coming weeks, with Opposition parties planning larger public mobilisations, including a proposed mega rally in Delhi on November 1.
The ECI has defended the SIR process and rejected allegations that it is targeting any particular community or section of voters.
The political confrontation has nevertheless widened beyond the mechanics of electoral-roll revision. The Opposition has increasingly portrayed SIR as an issue concerning the credibility of the electoral process itself, while the Election Commission has insisted that maintaining accurate and legally valid electoral rolls is a constitutional responsibility.
The standoff at Akashwani on Tuesday underscored the widening confrontation. The INDIA bloc MPs could not reach the ECI headquarters as planned and instead turned the barricade into the site of their protest, with MPs sitting on dharna and some attempting to push past the security cordon.
The Opposition’s campaign is now set to move into its next phase, with the Supreme Court’s observations on Form 6 adding another contentious legal and political dimension to the SIR dispute.
