A significant public interest litigation (PIL) has been lodged with the Supreme Court challenging the Election Commission of India’s (ECI) recent decision to increase the maximum number of voters per polling booth to 1,500. The PIL, brought forth by Indu Prakash Singh and represented by a team led by Advocate Talha Abdul Rahman, argues that this increase could impose barriers on the exercise of the right to vote, particularly affecting the accessibility for poor laborers who may face extended waiting times.
Justices Sanjiv Khanna, PV Sanjay Kumar, and R Mahadevan, who are overseeing this case, have ordered that a copy of the PIL be sent to the ECI through its Standing Counsel, with a hearing scheduled for the week of December 2. This hearing coincides with the expected tenure of Justice Khanna as the Chief Justice of India.
The petitioners seek a revision of the voter cap per booth back to 1,200, the standard maintained from 1957 to 2016, and an increase in the number of polling stations as stipulated under Section 25 of the Representation of People Act. They propose maintaining an elector-to-polling-station ratio between 1,000 and 1,200 to accommodate the varying conditions of urban and rural voting environments and suggest a future reduction in these numbers to enhance accessibility.
During the proceedings, Senior Advocates Dr. Abhishek Manu Singhvi and Shadan Farasat, alongside Advocates Natasha Maheshwari and Abhishek Babbar, represented the petitioner. Singhvi highlighted the undue strain placed on economically disadvantaged voters who may have to queue for up to three hours, positing that such conditions challenge the basic structural integrity of the Constitution.
While the Supreme Court bench has not yet issued a formal notice to the ECI, it has requested detailed clarification on how polling booth numbers are determined and rationalized by the Commission. This case raises profound questions about the balance between efficient administration of elections and the fundamental democratic right to accessible voting.
