The Election Commission of India (ECI) told the Supreme Court on January 27, 2026, that even registered voters must continuously fulfill the condition of Indian citizenship as stated in Article 326 of the Constitution to stay on the electoral roll. Article 326 says a voter must be at least 18 years old, an Indian citizen, and not disqualified by law. Senior advocate Maninder Singh, representing the EC, said, "These are essential conditions. The fulfillment of these conditions is a continuous requirement. You cannot say once my name is entered, whether I lose eligibility or not, I am entitled to stay on in the electoral roll." The Court heard petitions challenging the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) exercise in Bihar. Advocate Dama Seshadhiri Naidu explained that the SIR is a verification exercise, not a determination of citizenship. He said, "An exercise to verify citizenship is different from a process determining citizenship." Mr. Naidu also said there was no complaint about lapses in Bihar and noted that the SIR improved voter turnout in 2025 by removing duplicates and dead names. Advocate Eklavya Dwivedi added that being on the electoral roll is a "qualified right" and that no extra conditions beyond Article 326 and relevant laws have been added. He said, "We are verifying the eligibility parameters. It is not that we have asked you to prove the parameters in Article 326 along with additional parameters ‘X’ and ‘Y’." The Supreme Court continues to hear the case on the constitutionality of the SIR.