BJP's Jakhar: If Congress accepted SIR in Punjab, why oppose it elsewhere?
Synopsis
Former Punjab BJP chief Sunil Jakhar has turned Congress's opposition to the Special Intensive Revision of electoral rolls on its head — pointing out that the party raised no objection when SIR was conducted in Congress-AAP-governed Punjab, with 89,000 booth-level agents appointed and no verified case of wrongful voter deletion. The charge of selective outrage cuts to the heart of a brewing national row over electoral roll integrity.
Key Takeaways
Former Punjab BJP President Sunil Jakhar on 14 October 2026 challenged Congress's opposition to the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls.
Jakhar said SIR was completed in Punjab without any objection from Congress, AAP, the Chief Minister, or the Finance Minister.
Political parties collectively appointed 89,000 booth-level agents (BLAs) for the SIR exercise in Punjab.
According to Jakhar, not a single eligible voter in Punjab claimed their name was wrongly deleted during the revision.
AAP leaders protested SIR in Chandigarh on 10 October , while representatives of both parties thanked the Chief Electoral Officer on 12 October .
BJP alleges Congress lacks grassroots workers in most states and is using SIR controversy to rebuild lost political support.
Former Punjab Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) President Sunil Jakhar on Wednesday, 14 October 2026, accused the Congress of selectively targeting constitutional institutions — specifically the Election Commission of India (ECI) — after losing its political base across the country. Jakhar made the remarks while speaking to reporters outside the office of the Chief Electoral Officer in Chandigarh.
Key Developments
Jakhar pointed out that the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls had already been completed in Punjab — a state where Congress holds significant political presence — without any objection from the party. He noted that leaders including the sitting Chief Minister, the Finance Minister, the incumbent and former Punjab Congress presidents, and the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) president had raised no objection to the exercise, either in their own Assembly constituencies or at the state level.
Jakhar further stated that political parties had collectively appointed 89,000 booth-level agents (BLAs) for the SIR exercise. According to him, the Election Commission shared information with these agents at every stage and obtained their written agreement regarding the process.
BJP's Central Argument
'If SIR has been completed properly in Punjab, how can the same exercise, conducted under the same rules, be wrong in other states?' Jakhar asked, framing Congress's opposition as politically motivated rather than principled. He alleged that the party lacked grassroots workers in most states and had failed to appoint BLAs in those areas — and that instead of strengthening its own organisation, Congress was concentrating its efforts on undermining constitutional institutions.
He also claimed that throughout the revision exercise in Punjab, not a single eligible voter had come forward to allege that their name had been wrongly deleted from the electoral rolls.
Opposition's Counter-Moves
Despite the BJP's assertions, Congress leaders reportedly travelled to Delhi to protest against SIR, while AAP leaders held a demonstration in Chandigarh on 10 October. Notably, representatives of both parties had also met the Chief Electoral Officer on 12 October to thank him — a move Jakhar cited as an apparent contradiction in the Opposition's stance.
This comes amid a broader national debate over the integrity of SIR, with Opposition parties in several states alleging that the exercise risks the wrongful deletion of legitimate voters from the rolls. The BJP maintains that SIR is a routine, uniform procedure that has been conducted multiple times in the past.
What the BJP Said About Eligible Voters
Jakhar was categorical that 'SIR does not mean deleting votes; it means correcting and updating electoral rolls.' He urged the Opposition to bring forward any specific case where an eligible voter's name had been removed in error, adding that eligible voters could still have their names added to the rolls.
Taking a dig at senior Congress figures in the Rajya Sabha who he said had never directly contested elections, Jakhar argued they were ill-equipped to comment on how voters were registered at the ground level.
What Happens Next
The political row over SIR is likely to intensify ahead of upcoming state elections, with Opposition parties expected to continue pressing the Election Commission for transparency in the revision process. Whether any concrete case of wrongful voter deletion emerges from any state could become the defining test of BJP's counter-narrative.
Point of View
But it papers over a crucial distinction: Congress's objections in other states may be rooted in implementation disparities, not the SIR framework itself. The Opposition's credibility, however, is genuinely dented by the optics of protesting in Delhi while thanking the Chief Electoral Officer in Chandigarh two days later. The deeper issue — whether 89,000 BLAs, however well-briefed, are sufficient to catch every wrongful deletion in a state as electorally dense as Punjab — remains unexamined. Until a verified case of wrongful deletion is surfaced and independently assessed, both sides are trading political points rather than electoral evidence.
NationPress
14 Oct 2026
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls?
The Special Intensive Revision (SIR) is a process conducted by the Election Commission of India to correct and update voter rolls, adding eligible new voters and removing ineligible entries. It is a routine exercise that, according to BJP's Sunil Jakhar, has been conducted multiple times in the past under a uniform national procedure.
Why is Congress opposing SIR?
Congress and AAP leaders have protested against SIR, alleging risks of wrongful voter deletion from electoral rolls. However, BJP's Sunil Jakhar argues the opposition is politically motivated, pointing out that neither party raised objections when the same exercise was carried out in Punjab, where both parties have significant political presence.
What happened during SIR in Punjab?
SIR was completed in Punjab with political parties jointly appointing 89,000 booth-level agents, who received information from the Election Commission at every stage and gave written agreement on the process. Jakhar stated that no eligible voter in Punjab came forward to allege wrongful deletion during the exercise.
Who is Sunil Jakhar and why does his statement matter?
Sunil Jakhar is a former President of the Punjab BJP and has previously served as Punjab Congress chief, giving him cross-party credibility on state electoral affairs. His challenge to Congress carries weight because it draws on the specific, on-ground conduct of SIR in a Congress-AAP governed state.
What is the BJP's main argument against Congress on SIR?
BJP argues that since SIR was accepted and completed without objection in Punjab — a state where Congress and AAP hold power — the Opposition's protests against the same exercise in other states amount to selective outrage aimed at regaining lost political support rather than protecting voter rights.
