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Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) Gyanesh Kumar (Img: Pinterest)
New Delhi: The controversy surrounding the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) process has intensified after opposition leaders reacted to a report claiming that two Election Commissioners raised objections over certain decisions related to electoral roll procedures.
Opposition leaders including Rajya Sabha MP Kapil Sibal, Congress leader Jairam Ramesh, Trinamool Congress MP Derek O’Brien and Samajwadi Party chief Akhilesh Yadav have raised concern on the functioning of the Election Commission and demanded action against Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) Gyanesh Kumar.
The Election Commission, however, has rejected reports of internal differences and said that all decisions related to SIR and other matters were taken through the established process with approval from all three commissioners.
Addressing a press conference, Kapil Sibal alleged that the majority view was not in favour of CEC Gyanesh Kumar, referring to reports that Election Commissioners Sukhbir Singh Sandhu and Vivek Joshi had raised objections on multiple occasions.
Sibal claimed that the two commissioners had raised concerns about issues linked to the SIR process, electoral roll procedures and administrative decisions.
He also demanded that the SIR exercise be stopped immediately and called for action against the Chief Election Commissioner.
However, these allegations have been disputed by the Election Commission, which has maintained that the process has followed legal and constitutional procedures.
Congress leader Jairam Ramesh said senior party leader and Supreme Court advocate Abhishek Manu Singhvi would address a press conference regarding the issue.
Ramesh alleged that the reported developments raised questions over the credibility and independence of the Election Commission. He referred to the media report and said the party would discuss the matter in detail.
Samajwadi Party chief Akhilesh Yadav also reacted to the controversy and urged the Supreme Court to take note of the matter.
In a statement, Yadav referred to reports claiming that two Election Commissioners had raised objections multiple times over a period of months and said such developments required attention.
Trinamool Congress MP Derek O’Brien renewed his party’s demand for action against the Chief Election Commissioner and referred to a previous motion submitted by opposition MPs in Rajya Sabha.
Meanwhile, the Election Commission has continued to maintain that there is no internal disagreement among its members. EC sources said that the Chief Election Commissioner and two Election Commissioners have collectively approved decisions related to the SIR exercise.
The Special Intensive Revision of electoral rolls has become a major political issue, with opposition parties raising concerns over transparency and the Election Commission defending the procedure.
The controversy has brought renewed focus on electoral roll revision, internal functioning of constitutional bodies and the relationship between political parties and election authorities.
