SIR 2.0 sparks nationwide row: Opposition cries foul, BJP calls it clean-up drive

The Election Commission’s move to launch the second phase of special intensive revision (SIR) of electoral rolls across 12 states from November has set off a political storm in the country. The Trinamool Congress in Bengal and the DMK in Tamil Nadu accused the exercise of being a “BJP-driven effort” to strike off genuine voters, while the BJP welcomed it as a “cleanup drive” to remove bogus entries.

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The Special Intensive Revision (SIR) is a large-scale, door-to-door verification exercise carried out by the Election Commission of India (ECI) to ensure the accuracy and integrity of the electoral rolls. Its aim is to create an error-free voter list by including every eligible citizen while removing the names of those who are ineligible.

Tamil Nadu

In a swift response, Tamil Nadu Chief Minister and DMK president MK Stalin convened a high-level meeting of alliance partners in which the Secular Progressive Alliance passed a resolution denouncing the Election Commission’s special voter roll revision. Calling it a “satanic scheme” to rob Tamil Nadu’s people of their voting rights, the resolution accused the BJP-led Centre of repeatedly undermining democratic institutions and influencing autonomous bodies like the ECI. It also cited the Bihar Assembly elections as an instance where a similar revision allegedly targeted genuine voters.

The AIADMK, on the other hand, urged its cadre to support the SIR of electoral rolls, calling it vital to strengthen democracy. Party organising secretary and former minister D Jayakumar described the exercise, starting in November, as a “game-changer” to ensure full voter inclusion ahead of the 2026 Assembly elections.

Jayakumar said every eligible citizen must find their name on the rolls, invoking founder MG Ramachandran’s legacy and urging members to view the SIR as a “weapon to arm democracy.” Citing past errors, he noted that the 2023 revision deleted 40 lakh voters but added only eight lakh new ones, creating an imbalance that could lead to disenfranchisement.

Kerala

Elections to Kerala’s three-tier rural and urban local bodies, earlier expected in November or December, now face uncertainty after the Election Commission of India (ECI) placed the state under the second phase of the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls.

According to Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) Gyanesh Kumar, “Local body elections in Kerala have not been notified yet. That’s why SIR has been announced there.” The State Election Commission is expected to meet party representatives on October 29, before the schedule is announced. The final voter list, published on Sunday, included 28.4 million voters.

Meanwhile, Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan has accused the Election Commission of India (ECI) and the BJP-led Union government of trying to push the National Register of Citizens (NRC) “through the backdoor” by implementing the SIR in Kerala and other states.

Also read | Kerala parties oppose 'undemocratic' ECI's SIR; rare consensus across political fronts

In a strongly worded statement, Vijayan warned that the move posed a grave threat to India’s democratic process and could disenfranchise millions of voters.

He said there were growing concerns that the SIR was being used to manipulate voter lists in favour of the ruling party at the Centre. The chief minister noted that Kerala’s Chief Electoral Officer had already informed the ECI that conducting such an extensive revision would be impractical ahead of the local body elections. “Yet, the Commission’s insistence on moving forward with the exercise raises serious doubts about its intent,” Vijayan said.

West Bengal

Reacting to the Election Commission’s announcement of conducting SIR of electoral rolls in 12 states and Union Territories, including West Bengal, the Trinamool Congress (TMC) has warned against any attempt to tamper with voter lists.

At a press conference in Kolkata, TMC spokesperson Kunal Ghosh said the party would not stay silent if genuine voters were removed, warning that “one lakh party workers will march to the EC office in Delhi” if any name was unfairly deleted. He added that while the party supports an error-free roll, it would oppose any politically motivated manipulation. Ghosh also accused the BJP of trying to stir unrest around the SIR process and urged people not to fall for such provocations.

The BJP, on the other hand, described the ECI’s move as a necessary step to clean up the voters’ list. Leader of Opposition Suvendu Adhikari said the revision would expose infiltrators who allegedly form a part of the TMC’s vote base. “No illegal voters will be spared. Those who are legitimate voters have nothing to fear. But the infiltrators, who are the vote bank of the TMC, will be weeded out,” Adhikari told PTI.

Uttar Pradesh

The Samajwadi Party (SP) has mobilised its cadre through the creation of SIR-PDA Praharis, workers tasked with monitoring the voter verification process, especially in minority and backward-dominated areas. Party chief Akhilesh Yadav has directed them to ensure that no genuine voter is deleted, asserting that “every citizen must get their right to vote.” The SP fears that large-scale deletions, as seen during the Bihar revision, could disenfranchise millions and alter the state’s political balance.

Also read | TMC warns EC against any attempt to ‘manipulate’ voter lists during SIR

The SP has long accused the Election Commission of India of arbitrarily deleting names from voter lists. The party had also opposed the SIR conducted in Bihar and, with the process now beginning in UP, has instructed its workers to stay alert. The appointment of PDA (Pichhde, Dalit, Alpasankhayak) guards is underway, and their role will be to closely monitor the voter list revision at the booth level, ensuring that no voter’s name is wrongly removed. They will also maintain a record of all such cases.

In contrast, the BJP has welcomed the SIR as a step towards electoral transparency. Party leaders say the exercise will help weed out fake or duplicate entries and ensure the “purity” of voter rolls.

Rajasthan

Political tensions have escalated over the Election Commission’s decision to begin the SIR process in Rajasthan. While the BJP has welcomed the move, the Congress has termed it inappropriate.

Former Rajasthan Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot said that since the SIR matter is currently pending before the Supreme Court, proceeding with the exercise in Rajasthan and other states is unjustified. Gehlot said that a similar SIR process was carried out about 20 years ago without any controversy or allegations. “This time, however, the Election Commission’s approach appears one-sided, and it has not taken anyone into confidence,” he said. “When the SIR issue is already under the Supreme Court’s consideration, it is wrong for the Commission to suddenly go ahead with it.”

On the other hand, Rajasthan Deputy Chief Minister Diya Kumari has hailed the poll panel’s move and the SIR will help correct errors in the voter lists.

Madhya Pradesh

State Congress president Jitu Patwari described the move as an “alarming attempt” by the Election Commission and the BJP. He said the Congress is firmly committed to defending the country, the Constitution, and democracy. Patwari accused the BJP of “exploiting” the Election Commission for political gains and demanded that a Congress Booth Level Agent (BLA) be present at every polling booth to monitor the SIR process. “Congress will not allow the theft of votes,” he asserted.

Also read | DMK-BJP face-off over SIR as Tamil Nadu braces for electoral roll drive

On the other hand, BJP state spokesperson Ajay Singh Yadav hailed the SIR as a “sound process,” saying it would help remove illegal citizens from the voter rolls. He claimed that in Bihar, names of illegal citizens had already been deleted from the lists, and alleged that the Congress wanted to win elections using votes from Pakistani and Bangladeshi nationals. “The SIR will derail Congress’s plans, which is why the party is opposing it,” Yadav said.

Gujarat

The Gujarat Congress vowed to resist any wrongful deletions from the electoral rolls. “Serious doubts have been raised about the Election Commission of India’s independence and functioning,” state Congress president Amit Chavda said on Monday, adding that the party “will not allow even one genuine voter’s name to be struck off the list.”