The opposition alliance is calling for the CEC’s resignation, a pause in SIR and a return to paper ballots.
NEW DELHI Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge has restated three demands put forward by the INDIA bloc amid its disagreement with the Election Commission over the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls. The alliance is seeking the resignation of Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar, a halt to the revision exercise and a shift from Electronic Voting Machines (EVMs) to paper ballots.
Kharge and other opposition leaders have questioned the Election Commission’s handling of electoral-roll issues. The bloc has also called for the repeal of the 2023 law covering the appointment and service conditions of the Chief Election Commissioner and other Election Commissioners, arguing that the current framework needs to be reconsidered.
Opposition parties say the SIR process requires safeguards to prevent eligible voters from being wrongly removed from voter lists. They have called for names they believe were deleted improperly to be restored and for greater transparency in how entries are checked and updated.
The Election Commission’s position, as described in the supplied material, is that revision is an established process intended to maintain accurate electoral rolls and that decisions are made under applicable procedures. The central disagreement concerns transparency, protections for voters and the handling of disputed entries.
The INDIA bloc’s demand for paper ballots reflects its stated concerns about voting procedures and public confidence. Any change to the existing voting system would require action by the relevant authorities under the applicable legal framework. The issue is expected to remain part of the opposition’s wider campaign on electoral transparency, including at the Congress rally scheduled for November 1 in Delhi.