Form 6 is the Election Commission’s application form for registering as a new voter or shifting your registration to a new constituency. It is the form at the centre of the current political row over voter lists.

The SIR – Special Intensive Revision – is the EC’s drive to clean up electoral rolls by removing dead, duplicate and ineligible voters. The Bihar SIR has triggered the controversy, with the opposition alleging the exercise helps the ruling party.

The flashpoint is the declaration attached to Form 6 for the SIR. The EC’s September 26 press release said this declaration had been upheld by the Supreme Court. Rahul Gandhi alleged the Chief Election Commissioner illegally altered Form 6 to benefit the BJP.

The Supreme Court has said it did not declare Form 6 illegal. It observed that it had not approved any modified form and will examine the official record to establish who made the changes. The court has also agreed to hear petitions on the SIR itself.