New Delhi: India Bloc claims victory after the government agreed to debate electoral reforms in the Lok Sabha on December 9. The controversial Special Intensive Revision (SIR), a special revision of voter lists in states across the country, will be part of the electoral reform debate, which the united opposition has been demanding since the winter session of Parliament began on December 1.
The controversy over SIR began in June before the Bihar Assembly elections. During the last monsoon session, the SIR issue became a major bone of contention between the opposition and the government, leading to the loss of several working days. The opposition blamed SIR, which led to the deletion of millions of names from voter lists, for the I.N.D.I.A. Bloc’s defeat in Bihar. Furthermore, the opposition also opposed the extension of the process to nine states and three Union Territories.
Congress insiders reported that on the morning of December 1, I.N.D.I.A. During the block strategy meeting, Leader of the Opposition in the Lok Sabha, Rahul Gandhi, made it clear that the SIR is linked to democracy and therefore cannot be debated. The opposition has also protested outside Parliament over the issue in recent days.
After losing two days in the ongoing session, following a consensus within the NDA, the government finally agreed to a debate on the issue. On December 14, Congress is planning a large rally in Delhi on the SIR issue and has asked the party’s youth wing to hold protests in the states.
Congress Whip in the Lok Sabha, Manickam Tagore, told ETV Bharat, “This is a victory for the opposition, which was united in demanding a debate on the SIR, but the government was unwilling. Now they have agreed to a debate on electoral reforms on December 9. This has wasted an entire monsoon session and we lost two days of the winter session. Democracy is not a field for distraction; it demands accountability.”
He said, “We are concerned about the pressure of the ongoing SIR and the deaths of several BLOs linked to the hasty completion of the work despite reports of irregularities from states. SIR is being used to remove OBC votes.”
In August, Rahul Gandhi traveled across Bihar with RJD leader Tejashwi Yadav to raise the issue of SIR. The opposition was pressing for a debate on SIR. It is good that there will be a debate and both sides will have a chance to present their facts in the House. There are many issues involved in this work, and the true picture should be revealed.
There is no democracy in the country because the government is pushing its own agenda. SIR mattered in Bihar, and the assembly poll result was strange. It should never have been so one-sided in favor of the NDA. The ground reality was different. Moreover, many BJP MLAs in Bihar received almost identical votes, which raises suspicion,” RJD Rajya Sabha MP AD Singh told ETV Bharat.
After Bihar, the SIR is being implemented in Chhattisgarh, Goa, Gujarat, Kerala, Madhya Pradesh, Rajasthan, Tamil Nadu, Uttar Pradesh, West Bengal, and three union territories: Andaman and Nicobar, Lakshadweep, and Puducherry. The DMK has taken the matter to the Supreme Court and is monitoring the work in the southern state.
DMK Lok Sabha MP D.M. Kathir Anand told ETV Bharat, “The opposition is united on the SIR issue.” The ruling TMC in West Bengal has opposed the SIR, saying the BJP is pushing it to further its agenda against alleged infiltrators from Bangladesh ahead of the 2026 assembly elections.
TMC MP Mahua Moitra told ETV Bharat, “The SIR is a very complex issue, and there are many flaws in the way it is being implemented in West Bengal and other states. The BJP is pushing it for political purposes in Bengal, but we will not let them do so. We have raised our concerns in detail with the Election Commission, but we have not received a satisfactory response.” “It’s good that the opposition pressure worked and they agreed to a debate. The monsoon session couldn’t be held due to the government’s stubbornness. Let’s see what they say.”
