The political dispute surrounding the Election Commission of India and the Special Intensive Revision of electoral rolls intensified on Sunday, with twelve BJP chief ministers and senior party leaders publicly defending the poll panel.
The statements came a day after the Election Commission issued a detailed response to reports concerning alleged differences among Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar and Election Commissioners Sukhbir Singh Sandhu and Vivek Joshi. The issue has become a major point of political disagreement between the ruling BJP and opposition parties, particularly the Congress and the INDIA bloc.
The Election Commission has maintained that observations and suggestions made by its members are part of its internal deliberations. It has also stated that final decisions, including decisions concerning the Special Intensive Revision, were taken unanimously. The clarification followed reports about internal notes and objections concerning electoral roll related decisions.
Following the Election Commission's statement, the BJP organised press conferences involving chief ministers across several states. In states where the BJP or its National Democratic Alliance partners are not in government, state BJP leaders or other party representatives addressed the media.
The BJP said the press conferences were intended to respond to allegations raised by Congress leader and Leader of Opposition in the Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi and other opposition leaders. BJP leaders accused the Opposition of attempting to undermine public confidence in constitutional institutions. These are political claims made by the BJP and have been rejected or challenged by opposition leaders.
Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis strongly criticised Rahul Gandhi during his interaction with the media. Fadnavis rejected allegations concerning voter irregularities and accused the Congress leader of targeting constitutional institutions. His comments were part of the wider BJP response to the ongoing controversy.
Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath also defended the Election Commission and the SIR exercise. He accused the Congress, Samajwadi Party, Rashtriya Janata Dal and other opposition parties of creating confusion over the electoral roll revision process. Adityanath said political parties should not blame the Election Commission or electronic voting machines when election results do not go in their favour.
In Bihar, Chief Minister Samrat Choudhary defended the revision process and said the exercise had been completed according to prescribed rules. He said objections raised by political parties had been addressed and argued that eligible voters were not removed without due process.
Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma also criticised Rahul Gandhi and the INDIA bloc. Sarma questioned the Opposition's allegations and argued that political parties should examine the reasons for their electoral performance instead of blaming the Election Commission.
West Bengal Chief Minister Suvendu Adhikari focused on the Opposition's position on SIR in different states. He referred to the Congress's support for the revision exercise in Kerala and contrasted it with the party's opposition to SIR in West Bengal. His remarks reflected the BJP's broader argument that opposition to the exercise varies according to political circumstances.
Uttarakhand Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami also defended the Election Commission. He said political parties have the right to raise questions but argued that an internal discussion or note should not be treated as a final decision of the poll panel. Dhami referred to the Election Commission's position that its decisions were taken with consensus.
Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Mohan Yadav, Chhattisgarh Chief Minister Vishnu Deo Sai and Rajasthan Chief Minister Bhajan Lal Sharma also criticised the Congress and Rahul Gandhi. Their statements focused on allegations that the Opposition was attempting to create confusion regarding the Election Commission and electoral processes.
Delhi Chief Minister Rekha Gupta and Haryana Chief Minister Nayab Singh Saini similarly defended the poll panel and criticised the Congress. Gujarat Chief Minister Bhupendra Patel accused the Congress of adopting different positions on the Election Commission depending on election results.
The controversy has its roots in reports concerning internal discussions within the Election Commission about electoral roll procedures. An Indian Express investigation reported that Election Commissioners Sukhbir Singh Sandhu and Vivek Joshi had raised objections on multiple occasions over a period of about ten months concerning decisions related to electoral rolls and related procedures.
The Election Commission, however, has rejected the interpretation that such internal discussions represented a formal division in the commission. The poll panel said that internal observations and discussions are part of its decision making process and maintained that final decisions were taken unanimously.
The SIR exercise itself has become a politically sensitive issue because it involves verification and revision of electoral rolls. Supporters of the exercise say the process can help identify duplicate or otherwise ineligible entries, while opposition parties and other critics have raised concerns about the possibility of eligible voters facing difficulties during verification. These positions remain part of the ongoing political debate.
The Election Commission has also made procedural changes in some ongoing SIR exercises. According to recent reports, deadlines for document submission in Delhi and Maharashtra were extended by roughly a month, while certain hearing requirements were eased.
The BJP's latest campaign of public statements has therefore added another political dimension to the SIR controversy. While BJP chief ministers have defended the Election Commission and questioned the Opposition's allegations, Congress and other opposition parties have continued to demand greater clarity about the reported internal objections and the implementation of electoral roll revisions.
The dispute is significant because electoral rolls directly affect the process through which eligible citizens participate in elections. Questions concerning voter registration, deletion of names, verification procedures and access to electoral databases are consequently receiving increased political and public attention.
At present, the two sides continue to differ over the interpretation of the Election Commission's internal discussions. The BJP maintains that the Opposition is using the issue to question a constitutional institution, while opposition parties continue to seek explanations regarding reported objections and the implementation of SIR.
The Election Commission's stated position remains that internal discussions are part of its institutional functioning and that its final decisions were unanimous. The political debate over the SIR process and electoral roll management is expected to continue as the revision exercise progresses and the parties prepare for upcoming electoral contests.
