The political battle over the Election Commission’s Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls intensified on Wednesday, with BJP national spokesperson Sambit Patra defending the poll panel and rejecting Opposition allegations of “vote theft”.
Patra’s remarks came after a report said Election Commissioners Sukhbir Singh Sandhu and Vivek Joshi had recorded objections on multiple occasions over decisions concerning electoral rolls and voter data.
The Election Commission has denied that the reported differences represent an institutional split. The poll panel has said individual opinions and observations are part of internal deliberations and that its final decisions, including those related to SIR, were taken unanimously.
Sambit Patra says disagreements show internal deliberation
Addressing a press conference, Patra argued that discussions and differences among Election Commissioners should not automatically be interpreted as evidence of a dysfunctional institution.
He said the Commission’s own clarification showed that its members discuss issues before reaching a final decision.
“The Election Commission’s recent note proves that there is official deliberation and discussion among all the Election Commissioners within the Commission. After lengthy discussions, all the Commissioners arrive at the same view,” Patra said.
He also referred to reports of 14 instances of correspondence involving the commissioners and used them to argue that the members were engaging with each other rather than simply approving decisions without discussion.
Patra said, “If the three Election Commissioners do not talk to each other, exchange views or deliberate, and simply agree with everything, Opposition parties call it dictatorship. They say that this government appointed these three Commissioners. They simply say ‘yes’ to everything. Now, according to information from the media, there have been 14 instances of correspondence and official communication between the three.”
The BJP leader described the process as evidence of what he called the “beauty and maturity” of Indian democracy.
BJP rejects ‘vote theft’ allegations
Patra also targeted the Opposition over its allegations against the Election Commission.
He argued that political parties that have faced electoral defeats were now questioning constitutional institutions. He specifically criticised the Congress and other Opposition parties for alleging irregularities in the electoral process.
Patra said elections in India had been conducted smoothly since Narendra Modi became Prime Minister in 2014 and accused the Opposition of turning its criticism towards constitutional institutions after failing to secure public support.
The BJP’s position comes amid a wider political dispute over the SIR exercise and the functioning of the Election Commission.
What triggered the latest Election Commission controversy?
The current dispute followed an Indian Express report that said Sandhu and Joshi had put objections on record at least 14 times during a 10-month period.
According to the report, their concerns involved several electoral-roll issues, including changes to Form 6, voter registration and deletion, appeals concerning electoral-roll decisions and the management and centralisation of voter data.
The report said some of the objections questioned whether particular actions had been authorised and raised concerns about how electoral-roll systems and information were being handled.
The reported objections subsequently triggered criticism from several Opposition leaders, who questioned the functioning of the poll panel and its handling of SIR.
Election Commission says final decisions were unanimous
The Election Commission has rejected the suggestion that the reported objections demonstrate a rift among its members.
In its response, the poll body said individual Election Commissioners can record their observations, suggestions and differing views during deliberations. It maintained that these exchanges are part of the checks and balances within a multi-member constitutional body.
The Commission said, “Any institution will have different views and comments during deliberations. These are part of the decision-making process before a final decision is taken. Not only the three Commissioners, but every officer of the Commission is fully authorised to give suggestions to the Commission for improving the electoral process.”
The poll panel also argued that focusing on selected internal observations from a 10-month period does not provide the complete picture of its functioning.
It said, “10 months’ worth of some specific internal comments/observations being highlighted, while ignoring the large number of approvals, decisions, directions and initiatives, shows only one part of the picture.”
The ECI has maintained that decisions taken by the Commission, including those concerning SIR, had the approval of Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar and Election Commissioners Sandhu and Joshi.
Rahul Gandhi and other Opposition leaders raise questions
The developments have led to a fresh political confrontation between the BJP and Opposition parties.
Congress leader Rahul Gandhi has accused the BJP, RSS and Election Commission of being involved in what he described as “vote chori”. He called the alleged practice a crime against citizens and an attack on the Constitution.
Other Opposition leaders have also questioned the Election Commission following the report about the objections recorded by Sandhu and Joshi.
The BJP has rejected these allegations and has instead defended the poll panel’s internal decision-making process.
SIR remains at the centre of the dispute
The Special Intensive Revision has become the main point of contention in the latest political clash.
The exercise involves reviewing electoral rolls, including checking voter records and identifying entries requiring verification. The Election Commission has said the process is intended to improve the accuracy of electoral rolls.
At the same time, Opposition parties have raised concerns about the possible deletion of eligible voters and have questioned aspects of the exercise.
The latest dispute therefore involves two separate issues: reports that two Election Commissioners recorded objections on several matters, and the ECI’s assertion that such internal discussions are normal and that final institutional decisions were unanimous.
As the political debate continues, the Election Commission’s handling of SIR and the internal decision-making process of the three-member poll panel are likely to remain under scrutiny.
