On a day the Election Commission of India (ECI) began the second phase of the nationwide Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls, senior Congress MP Manish Tewari said the exercise would be a “constitutional transgression” as the poll body does not have the mandate to conduct a pan-India intensive revision of this nature.

The former Information and Broadcasting Minister told The Hindu in an interview that the poll body can carry out such an exercise only in certain regions and constituencies, and that too if there is empirical evidence of the need for it.

“It is important to understand the constitutional and legal scheme with regard to powers of the EC. Article 324 of the Constitution empowers the EC to exercise superintendence, direction and control of elections. However,

See Full Page