Kharge Questions SIR Process, Demands Full Disclosure of Voter Roll Changes

Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge has raised five demands over the Election Commission’s Special Intensive Revision of electoral rolls, calling for greater transparency, disclosure of voter list changes and an appeal process for affected voters. The EC has maintained that the revision process follows legal procedures.

Mallikarjun Kharge at the Congress Working Committee meeting, where he raised questions over electoral roll revisions and demanded greater transparency in the SIR process. (Images: X)

New Delhi: Congress President Mallikarjun Kharge on Tuesday intensified the party’s criticism of the Election Commission’s Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls, alleging that the exercise and recent voter enrolment rule changes raised concerns over transparency and voters’ rights. Addressing the Congress Working Committee (CWC) meeting in New Delhi, Kharge said the party had a 'historic responsibility' to defend democratic institutions and constitutional values. He compared the Congress’ current campaign on electoral rolls with its earlier struggles over voting rights during British rule.

Kharge alleged that voter names were being removed from electoral rolls at the direction of the BJP-led government and criticised Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar. The Election Commission, however has maintained that its decisions are based on legal provisions and that internal discussions among commissioners are part of the institution’s functioning.

Congress Raises Concerns Over Voter Enrolment Rules

Kharge also questioned changes related to Form 6, which is used for new voter registration. He alleged that modifications could create difficulties for young voters seeking enrolment. Referring to the decision taken by the Rajiv Gandhi government in 1988 to reduce the voting age from 21 to 18 years, Kharge accused the current government of failing to address youth concerns. The Congress president also supported Rahul Gandhi’s allegations regarding voter list discrepancies in places including Mahadevapura, Aland, Haryana and Maharashtra. He referred to claims related to duplicate entries, questionable addresses and multiple registrations at the same location. EC has said that electoral roll-related processes follow established procedures and that concerns raised within the commission are part of institutional discussions.

Congress Lists Five Demands On Electoral Roll Transparency

Kharge announced five demands that the Congress said it would pursue during the ongoing controversy:

1. Public disclosure of major changes made to voter lists.
2. Complete information and an appeal opportunity for voters whose names have been removed.
3. Timely access to voter lists and relevant data for political parties in a simplified format.
4. Independent investigation into serious discrepancies within a fixed timeframe.
5. Greater transparency in election-related decisions and data sharing.

Kharge said voters must have confidence that their electoral rights are protected and argued that transparency in the process was essential for public trust.

Opposition Strategy Ahead Of INDIA Bloc Meeting

The CWC meeting took place ahead of a meeting of INDIA bloc parties, where opposition leaders are expected to discuss their strategy on the SIR controversy and their demand for accountability from EC.

Congress has been seeking action against CEC Gyanesh Kumar over the issue. The poll body has stated that questions raised by election commissioners Sukhbir Singh Sandhu and Vivek Joshi were part of regular institutional deliberations and that its decisions followed due procedures.