The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP)'s Punjab unit has written to the Election Commission of India (ECI) and the state's chief electoral officer, alleging serious irregularities in the ongoing Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls and demanding urgent intervention to ensure a free, fair, and citizen-friendly verification process.

What the BJP Has Alleged

Punjab BJP president Kewal Singh Dhillon claimed in the letter that poll officials — specifically Booth Level Officers (BLOs) — are collecting information from voters that has no bearing on the SIR exercise. According to Dhillon, some BLOs are gathering data related to Punjab government welfare schemes and allegedly inducing voters to enrol in those schemes during the verification drive.

'Some officials are collecting data from electors relating to various schemes of the Punjab government and persuading or inducing them to avail such schemes. These are wholly unrelated to the purpose of the SIR exercise,' the letter stated.

Unauthorised Documents Being Sought, Says BJP

The party further alleged that BLOs are demanding documents not prescribed under SIR guidelines — including rent deeds and affidavits from landlords — causing 'undue inconvenience' to genuine voters. Dhillon argued this makes the process unnecessarily complicated and burdensome for ordinary electors.

Complaints have reportedly been received from multiple locations across the state, pointing to what the BJP describes as a pattern rather than isolated incidents.

Context: The SIR Drive and Political Backdrop

The voter verification exercise in Punjab spans 25 June to 24 July, covering approximately 2.14 crore registered voters, with around 25,000 BLOs conducting household surveys. The drive had already drawn controversy earlier when Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann appealed to eligible voters to participate, suggesting that doing so would help protect their voting rights and ensure continued access to government welfare schemes — a remark the BJP had flagged as conflating electoral and welfare processes.

This comes amid heightened political sensitivity: Punjab is headed toward Assembly elections slated for early next year, making the integrity of electoral roll revision a high-stakes issue for all parties.

Key Demands Raised by Punjab BJP

In the letter, Dhillon pressed the ECI for an immediate inquiry into the alleged unauthorised collection of documents, disciplinary action against erring officials, and clear directions to BLOs to strictly follow prescribed SIR guidelines. The party also urged the poll body to ensure the revision exercise is conducted in a 'transparent and citizen-friendly manner.'

What Comes Next

The ECI has not yet issued a public response to the BJP's letter. With the SIR window closing on 24 July, the Election Commission faces pressure to address the allegations before the exercise concludes. Any corrective action — or inaction — is likely to become a political flashpoint as Punjab's pre-election season intensifies.