TMC approaches SC over 'Form-6' chaos; Bench says "happens every time"

The Supreme Court of India on Wednesday addressed the ongoing controversy surrounding the Form 6 amid Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls in West Bengal. A three-judge Bench, led by Chief Justice of India Surya Kant and including Justices Joymalya Bagchi and Vipul Pancholi, heard a batch of petitions. The court remained firm in its stance that the current administrative procedures are part of a recurring electoral cycle and do not warrant immediate judicial intervention.

The hearing saw intense arguments from Senior Advocate Kalyan Bandopadhyay, representing the interests of the Trinamool Congress. He raised alarms over the "bulk submission" of Form 6 applications—used for new voter registrations—alleging that in one instance, a single individual attempted to submit 30,000 forms. Bandopadhyay argued that allowing such massive bundles of applications while the adjudication process is still active could compromise the integrity of the supplementary voter lists currently being prepared by the Election Commission.

In response to these concerns, Chief Justice Surya Kant observed that such mass submissions are not a new phenomenon in Indian elections. "Happens every time, not the first time," the CJI remarked, pointing out that the legal framework already provides a mechanism for stakeholders to raise formal objections against any specific application. The Bench emphasized that the court cannot act on generalized fears and advised the petitioners to utilize the existing administrative channels to challenge suspicious entries.