Opposition Parties Intensify Pressure on Election Commission Amid Allegations of Irregularities

September 28, New Delhi (RAS/AFP) – In India, mounting allegations of irregularities in the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) process of voter lists have increased pressure on the Election Commission for an inquiry. Opposition parties are demanding the resignation of Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar and calling for an investigation led by the Supreme Court. According to an investigative report last week by The Indian Express, two out of three Election Commissioners approved key decisions related to the SIR without the consent of the third commissioner. The Election Commission, however, has denied the accusations, asserting that all decisions were unanimous and legally valid.

Opposition parties have long raised concerns that the SIR process has led to the removal of millions of voters from the electoral rolls, potentially benefiting Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s ruling Bharatiya Janata Party. The report revealed that over the past 10 months, two Election Commissioners formally dissented at least 14 times on major SIR-related decisions, stating that 13 million voters were excluded. The Election Commission maintains that the purpose of the SIR is to identify and remove fraudulent registrations while retaining eligible voters on the list.

The Commission also stated that preventing “illegal foreign immigrants” from voting is one of its objectives. Critics argue that this disproportionately affects marginalized and minority communities. The Commission clarified that all decisions made over the past year have been unanimous. However, it has not publicly disclosed who approved the contentious orders opposed by the two commissioners. Congress leader Pawan Khera claimed that if it is confirmed that SIR-related decisions were made without the knowledge or approval of the two commissioners, those decisions and the entire process would be legally invalid. The youth-led Kakkaroch Janata Party has warned it will launch street protests starting October 2 if Kumar does not resign.