SIR Row Escalates As EC Denies Internal Rift, BJP Calls Matter Settled, Congress Demands Answers

The Election Commission's latest clarification on reports of internal differences within the poll panel triggered a fresh political confrontation on Saturday, with the BJP saying the controversy had been settled while the Congress maintained that several key questions remained unanswered.

Congress MP and spokesperson Pawan Khera directly targeted Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar over the issue. "Gyanesh Kumar Gupta can try, as much as he wants, to hide behind these long press notes. He cannot simply wash his hands of this mess," Khera said in a post on X.

The controversy began after The Indian Express reported on September 23 that Election Commissioners Sukhbir Singh Sandhu and Vivek Joshi had submitted at least 14 objection notes on decisions concerning the Special Intensive Revision (SIR).

The Congress dismissed the Election Commission's latest clarification as "too lame, too little, too late". Khera also reiterated Leader of Opposition Rahul Gandhi's demand that Gyanesh Kumar resign or "turn approver" in connection with allegations of voter manipulation "to favour the BJP".

The BJP, however, said the Election Commission's statement had clearly addressed the allegations. BJP MP and spokesperson Sambit Patra said the commission's statement "clarifies this matter unequivocally". The party's social media head Deepak Mhaskey also shared a photograph issued by the EC and wrote: "One photo. One official note. Days of propaganda wiped out in minutes."

The BJP's ally Telugu Desam Party (TDP), which had earlier called on the Election Commission to address the controversy, also cited the clarification. TDP chief and Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu said the "unanimous clarification... reaffirms the integrity and credibility of our constitutional institutions and puts to rest all the misconceptions surrounding it".

The political exchange came after Gyanesh Kumar, Sukhbir Singh Sandhu and Vivek Joshi met at Nirvachan Sadan on Saturday afternoon. Following the meeting, the Election Commission issued a press note stating that the orders relating to the SIR had received the "unanimous approval of the Commission".

The note also referred to a "letter to Cabinet Secretary", reportedly written by Joshi and Sandhu. According to the EC, the letter "was not related to any policy matter of the Commission or IT division but related to the working of an officer on deputation to ECI". The commission also stated that the contentious work redistribution orders issued by the officer were not implemented.

Addressing a press conference in Bhubaneswar, BJP MP and spokesperson Sambit Patra said, "As a political party, it is our duty to place before the public and the nation the facts regarding how the Congress party is attacking constitutional institutions to serve its own vested interests."

He added, "Regarding the press release issued today by the Election Commission of India on a public platform, the most significant point to note addresses the allegations levelled against the Commission and political parties, specifically the BJP... It had been alleged that there was a lack of consensus within the Election Commission, implying the three commissioners were not united, and that the matter had escalated to the point where the Cabinet Secretary had to intervene. Furthermore, it was claimed that the BJP was using the Election Commission as a pawn for its own defence. Today's statement clarifies this matter unequivocally."

Patra said meetings with the Cabinet Secretary are formally documented and do not take place as unofficial discussions without records. He described interactions concerning officers on deputation and personnel matters as part of the normal administrative process, arguing that the Congress had presented such an interaction as evidence of internal disagreement within the poll panel.

The Congress, however, said the Election Commission's note "confirms" that the media report "was indeed true" and argued that it "leaves the central questions unanswered".

The party then raised three issues, beginning with Form 6, which is used to enrol new voters. The Congress said, "Two ECs opposed the changes to Form 6. One called them 'unauthorised' and 'illegal'."

The Election Commission said the declaration attached to Form 6 for the SIR "has been upheld by the Hon'ble Supreme Court". Under the declaration, applicants are required to establish their connection with the previous SIR through their parents' names. The EC clarified that outside the SIR period, "the Forms applicable as per Rules (the Registration of Electors Rules 1960) will be used".

The Congress questioned the situation of young voters in Bihar and West Bengal, where the SIR was followed by elections without an intervening Special Summary Revision (SSR). Khera also asked, "What is the relevance of the old Form 6 if the SSR has not been conducted since Jan 2024?"

The Election Commission said the SIR had already been completed in 20 states and Union Territories, including Bihar and West Bengal. It added that people who were left out could approach the electoral registration officer and seek inclusion through continuous updation.