Overview
- The court refused interim relief to several small parties challenging the Election Commission of India’s September 19, 2025 delisting, leaving the orders in force.
- Chief Justice Manindra Mohan Shrivastava and Justice G. Arul Murugan held that granting a stay would amount to allowing the petitions and letting the groups contest the Tamil Nadu Assembly election.
- The main writ petitions will be heard in the second week of March 2026 after the judges found the balance of convenience favors the ECI.
- The petitioners argue the ECI lacks statutory power to de-register parties under the Representation of the People Act, cite a 2002 Supreme Court ruling on narrow grounds for de-registration, allege due process lapses, and say alliance contests and local body participation were ignored.
- The ECI defends its action under 2014 guidelines issued using Article 324—requiring parties to contest within a six-year block and commit to de-registration for non-compliance—citing prior tax concerns about dormant parties; show-cause notices came from state CEOs and orders were issued by the ECI secretary.