Twenty-three Opposition political parties, along with Independent Rajya Sabha MP Kapil Sibal, have jointly written to Chief Justice of India Surya Kant, expressing concerns over the Election Commission's Special Intensive Revision (SIR) exercise and other issues related to the electoral process. The letter was sent on Tuesday following a decision taken at a meeting of the INDIA bloc held on June 8, where Opposition parties agreed to collectively raise their concerns before the country's highest judicial authority.
Congress general secretary Jairam Ramesh announced the development in a post on X, describing the Opposition alliance as united in its response to the issue. "21 political parties plus one Independent attended the INDIA janbandhan meeting on June 8, 2026 where a decision was taken to address a joint letter to the Hon'ble Chief Justice of India on the SIR process of the Election Commission of India and other election-related issues."
He added that the proposal had since gathered wider support. "Accordingly, a joint letter now signed by 23 political parties plus one Independent has been sent to the Hon'ble Chief Justice of India today." The joint representation has also been signed by Independent MP Kapil Sibal.
Trinamool Congress leader Derek O'Brien later confirmed that both the Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK) and the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) had endorsed the letter. "Good going from INDIA. And yes, @AamAadmiParty @arivalayam DMK also signed the joint letter to CJI."
The inclusion of the two parties is significant, as neither had participated in the INDIA bloc meeting on June 8. While the Aam Aadmi Party is not formally a constituent of the Opposition alliance, the DMK had informed its partners in advance that it would not attend the meeting.
According to reports, the letter addressed to the Chief Justice extends beyond the SIR exercise and also raises concerns regarding the functioning of the Election Commission. However, the Congress has not made the contents of the letter public.
The Congress and several Opposition parties have repeatedly questioned the Election Commission over the ongoing Special Intensive Revision of electoral rolls, alleging that the exercise could adversely affect the electoral process. The poll body, however, has maintained that the revision is being conducted in accordance with established legal and constitutional provisions.
