Chirag, Kushwaha, and TDP Urge Election Commission to Clear SIR Confusion

• by Akanksha Mishra
• 2026-09-26 15:48:00

Escalating political friction over the transparency of the electoral roll revision, key constituents of the ruling National Democratic Alliance (NDA) joined nationwide calls on Friday demanding that the Election Commission of India (ECI) step forward to clear public confusion surrounding the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) exercise. The collective appeal from Lok Janshakti Party (Ram Vilas) chief Chirag Paswan, Rashtriya Lok Morcha (RLM) president Upendra Kushwaha, and Telugu Desam Party (TDP) Lok Sabha floor leader Lavu Sri Krishna Devarayalu follows growing scrutiny around Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) Gyanesh Kumar. While the Congress party staged protests demanding Kumar’s resignation or deposition as a state approver, the ruling coalition’s partners emphasized that democratic legitimacy depends on the poll body directly reassuring voters rather than maintaining institutional silence.

Chirag Paswan Leads Coalition Push: Protecting Public Faith in the Ballot Box

Addressing reporters on Friday, Union Minister Chirag Paswan became the first prominent leader from within the NDA to openly state that statutory bodies must be held accountable to the public:

Separating Governance from Defense: Paswan clarified that being part of the central government does not require him to defend constitutional institutions against valid questions, noting that while political parties will always engage in partisan sparring, the common voter deserves clarity.

Warning on Democratic Erosion: Emphasizing that losing faith in the electoral framework harms democracy, the LJP (Ram Vilas) chief asserted that the Commission should deliver an authoritative, proactive clarification aimed directly at public apprehensions rather than getting bogged down by rhetoric from Rahul Gandhi.

Call for Decisive Action: He urged the leadership at Nirvachan Sadan to step out and systematically dismantle misconceptions regarding the scale and methodology of voter revisions.

RLM and TDP Urge Transparency: Resolving Growing Voter Distrust

Echoing Paswan’s concerns, RLM chief and Rajya Sabha MP Upendra Kushwaha took to X to highlight that the escalating controversy surrounding deep voter list revisions has created visible confusion across several states. Kushwaha called on the Commission to treat the issue with urgency and issue an immediate clarification to restore institutional credibility. Concurrently, TDP floor leader Lavu Sri Krishna Devarayalu pointed out that while the revision process in Andhra Pradesh was carried out transparently without substantiating opposition claims, the Commission must adopt proactive disclosure policies nationwide. He observed that providing clear, prompt explanations whenever questions arise serves to fortify, rather than weaken, public trust in vital democratic institutions.

Inside Nirvachan Sadan: 14 Internal Objections and the Battle Over Form 6

The alliance partners’ intervention comes amid investigative findings detailing sharp procedural disagreements within the three-member election panel:

Commissioners’ Written Dissent: Reports revealed that Election Commissioners Sukhbir Singh Sandhu and Vivek Joshi submitted at least 14 formal objections over the past 10 months, claiming significant administrative actions and software changes were executed without their prior review or consultation.

Disputed Roll Protocols: The objections targeted central database controls, voter addition and deletion guidelines, and an unannounced modification to online Form 6 that required first-time voters to declare whether their parents or grandparents appeared in previous SIR registers.

ECI Rebuttal and BJP Stance: In response, the Commission stated that differences of opinion represent healthy deliberations, asserting that all final decisions—including the SIR—were arrived at through statutory consensus and lawful execution. Concurrently, West Bengal BJP President Samik Bhattacharya brushed aside internal rift reports as signs of vibrant internal democracy, counter-proposing that Gyanesh Kumar be conferred the Padma Bhushan for weeding out undocumented Bangladeshi infiltrators from border state voter rolls.

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