SIR row: SS-UBT's Chaturvedi says common people now doubt vote validity
Synopsis
Beyond the opposition's impeachment push against CEC Gyanesh Kumar, SS-UBT's Priyanka Chaturvedi is now pointing to something harder to dismiss — ordinary voters questioning whether their names are being added or deleted arbitrarily. With two Election Commissioners reportedly raising objections fourteen times in ten months, and the ECI rejecting reports of internal differences, the SIR controversy is fast becoming a crisis of institutional credibility.
Key Takeaways
SS-UBT leader Priyanka Chaturvedi said on 25 September 2026 that common citizens, not just political parties, are questioning the SIR electoral roll process.
She cited two Election Commissioners who reportedly raised objections 14 times in the last 10 months over arbitrary voter additions and deletions.
Chaturvedi alleged the introduction of Form 6 was procedurally irregular and that IT infrastructure for electoral rolls is being centralised without adequate safeguards.
Leader of Opposition Rahul Gandhi has called on CEC Gyanesh Kumar to resign; opposition parties are reportedly preparing an impeachment motion.
The Election Commission of India has rejected media reports of internal differences within the poll panel.
Shiv Sena (UBT) leader Priyanka Chaturvedi on Friday, 25 September 2026, said that public scepticism over the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) process has spread well beyond opposition parties, with ordinary citizens now questioning whether their votes are being authorised, validated, or tampered with. Her remarks came as opposition parties reportedly moved to prepare an impeachment motion against Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) Gyanesh Kumar.
What Chaturvedi Said
'Political parties are one side. People are now beginning to wonder whether our vote is authorised, and after being authorised, whether it is valid. Whether it is being tampered with or not,' Chaturvedi said. She alleged that additions and deletions in the electoral rolls under the SIR process are being carried out 'arbitrarily,' and said the opposition's core complaint is the lack of a transparent framework governing these changes.
She cited two Election Commissioners who reportedly raised objections fourteen times in the last 10 months, flagging that voter addition, deletion, and restoration processes under the SIR were unclear. According to Chaturvedi, the commissioners noted that 'the commission held no meeting, and all the decisions were being taken arbitrarily, which they realised only after they got the news in the media.'
Centralisation Concerns and Form 6 Controversy
Chaturvedi raised an additional concern about the IT infrastructure of electoral rolls being centralised, calling decentralisation one of the most crucial aspects of the Election Commission of India (ECI)'s mandate. She argued that empowering state election commissioners requires a distributed architecture, not a centralised one.
She also claimed that the introduction of Form 6 was procedurally irregular, alleging that government permission was required but not sought. Citing the example of Goa, she said that when Election Registration Officers (EROs) sought to relist verified voters, they found they could not add names directly to the central database — a gap she described as a structural flaw in the revised process.
Questions Over ECI's Internal Process
Chaturvedi questioned the absence of a signed press release from the ECI and the fact that no joint press conference was held with all three Election Commissioners present. 'On what basis is the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) supporting them?' she asked. She also questioned why two Election Commissioners were reportedly eager to meet the Cabinet Secretary to flag arbitrary actions, if the poll panel had arrived at all decisions collectively.
Broader Political Context
The remarks follow a statement by Leader of Opposition in Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi, who confronted CEC Gyanesh Kumar and the BJP, calling on the CEC to resign and turn 'approver' in what Gandhi termed an alleged 'stealing' of votes. The controversy intensified after a media report claimed internal differences within the poll panel over the SIR and related matters — a claim the Election Commission of India has since rejected. This comes as one of the more sustained institutional challenges the poll panel has faced in recent years, with multiple opposition parties coordinating their response.
How the ECI responds to calls for greater transparency in the SIR process is likely to shape public trust in the electoral rolls ahead of upcoming state elections.
Point of View
The damage to democratic trust is difficult to reverse. The ECI's flat denial of internal differences, without a detailed rebuttal of the specific procedural allegations, is unlikely to close the conversation. With Rahul Gandhi calling for the CEC's resignation and an impeachment motion reportedly in the works, the poll panel now faces scrutiny on both process and governance — at a time when it can least afford it ahead of state elections.
NationPress
25 Sept 2026
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) process and why is it controversial?
The Special Intensive Revision (SIR) is an Election Commission of India exercise to update electoral rolls through systematic addition, deletion, and restoration of voter names. It has become controversial amid allegations that changes are being made arbitrarily, without transparent procedures, and that two Election Commissioners raised objections fourteen times in ten months over how the process was being conducted.
What has Priyanka Chaturvedi alleged about the SIR process?
Shiv Sena (UBT) leader Priyanka Chaturvedi has alleged that voter additions and deletions under SIR are being carried out arbitrarily, that the introduction of Form 6 was procedurally irregular, and that the IT infrastructure for electoral rolls is being centralised — undermining the role of state election commissioners. She also questioned the absence of signed press releases and a joint press conference from the Election Commission.
What is the impeachment motion against CEC Gyanesh Kumar about?
Opposition parties are reportedly preparing an impeachment motion against Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar over concerns about the SIR process and alleged arbitrary decision-making within the poll panel. Leader of Opposition Rahul Gandhi has separately called on the CEC to resign and turn 'approver' in what he described as an alleged 'stealing' of votes.
How has the Election Commission responded to these allegations?
The Election Commission of India has rejected media reports claiming internal differences within the poll panel over the SIR process and related issues. It has not, as of the latest available information, held a joint press conference with all three commissioners to address the specific procedural allegations in detail.
What was the Goa example cited by Chaturvedi?
Chaturvedi cited Goa as a case where Election Registration Officers, after completing their investigation and verifying voters as authorised, could not directly add names to the central electoral database. She described this as a structural flaw introduced by the centralisation of the ECI's IT infrastructure under the SIR process.
