BJP demands Rahul Gandhi apology after EC clarifies SIR electoral roll revision
Synopsis
After the Election Commission clarified that its Special Integrated Revision of electoral rolls was unanimously approved by all three Commissioners, Madhya Pradesh CM Mohan Yadav and State BJP President Hemant Khandelwal went on the offensive — demanding Rahul Gandhi apologise to the nation and resign as Leader of the Opposition. The ECI's own statement has become the BJP's sharpest weapon in a widening battle over institutional credibility.
Key Takeaways
BJP's Madhya Pradesh leadership held a joint press conference in Bhopal on 27 September 2026 , demanding Rahul Gandhi 's apology and resignation.
The Election Commission of India clarified on 26 September that the SIR order dated 24 June 2025 was unanimously approved by all three Commissioners.
Booth Level Officers will now visit the homes of voters who received discrepancy notices, removing the need for a personal hearing at the Electoral Registration Officer's office.
CM Mohan Yadav alleged Gandhi is attempting to sow public distrust in constitutional institutions without producing concrete evidence.
State BJP President Hemant Khandelwal said the ECI's clarification has itself cast doubt on the Congress's allegations.
The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) in Madhya Pradesh launched a sharp counter-offensive against the Indian National Congress (Congress) on 27 September 2026, following a clarification by the Election Commission of India (ECI) on the Special Integrated Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls. The BJP demanded a public apology and resignation from Leader of the Opposition Rahul Gandhi, accusing him of spreading confusion about a constitutional body without evidence.
The Joint Press Conference in Bhopal
Chief Minister Mohan Yadav and State BJP President Hemant Khandelwal addressed a joint press conference in Bhopal on Sunday, taking aim at the Congress's recent allegations against the Election Commission. Yadav invoked the proverb of a 'poor workman blaming his tools' to describe Gandhi's conduct, calling it 'unfortunate.' He asserted that questioning constitutional institutions without concrete evidence is wholly inappropriate.
Targeting Gandhi directly, Yadav remarked that 'he is a Prince who simply refuses to listen,' accusing the Congress of consistently seeking to create confusion around the country's constitutional bodies. He alleged that Gandhi is attempting to sow public distrust in the Election Commission and its members, and challenged the party to produce any concrete evidence to support its claims.
What the Election Commission Clarified
On 26 September, the ECI clarified that the decision to conduct the SIR across the country was taken unanimously by all three members of the Commission. The SIR order, dated 24 June 2025, was unanimously approved for all states and Union Territories, the Commission stated.
The Commission also announced a simplified process for voters who received notices due to record-mapping or other logical discrepancies. In such cases, Booth Level Officers (BLOs) will visit their homes to collect documents and upload them on ECINet, meaning individuals will normally not be required to appear for a personal hearing at the Electoral Registration Officer's office.
BJP's Key Demands and Allegations
Chief Minister Yadav demanded that Gandhi apologise to the nation for his allegations against the Election Commission and resign from the post of Leader of the Opposition. He cited past instances — including the Bofors case and the surgical strikes — as examples of Gandhi repeatedly raising questions on sensitive matters, describing the pattern as a recurring political strategy.
State BJP President Khandelwal echoed the demand, stating that the ECI's clarification has itself raised serious doubts over the Congress's claims. He accused the party of misleading the public by casting aspersions on the credibility of constitutional institutions. Both leaders emphasised that safeguarding such institutions is the collective responsibility of all political parties, not just those in power.
Background and What This Signals
The SIR — a comprehensive revision of voter rolls — has been a flashpoint between the BJP and Congress in recent weeks, with the opposition alleging that the exercise could disenfranchise voters. The ECI's unanimous-decision clarification directly undercuts that narrative, and the BJP has moved swiftly to capitalise on it. Notably, this is part of a broader pattern in which opposition challenges to electoral processes become a focal point of inter-party contestation, with institutional credibility itself becoming contested terrain. With the ECI's position now publicly stated, the political pressure shifts to the Congress to either substantiate its allegations or recalibrate its stance.
Point of View
Any opposition narrative of institutional bias becomes harder to sustain without fresh evidence. But the deeper issue this episode exposes is how the SIR process — a routine administrative exercise — became politically combustible in the first place, suggesting persistent public distrust in electoral machinery that neither party has fully addressed. Demanding Gandhi's resignation is maximalist positioning unlikely to materialise, but it serves to keep the Congress on the defensive ahead of any forthcoming state-level electoral cycles. The real accountability question — whether the SIR's simplified notice process is being implemented uniformly across districts — is being drowned out by the political noise from both sides.
NationPress
27 Sept 2026
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the Special Integrated Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls?
The Special Integrated Revision (SIR) is a comprehensive exercise to update and clean up voter rolls across all states and Union Territories. The Election Commission of India issued the SIR order on 24 June 2025, and it was unanimously approved by all three Election Commissioners.
Why is the BJP demanding Rahul Gandhi's apology?
The BJP says Gandhi made allegations against the Election Commission regarding the SIR without concrete evidence. Following the ECI's clarification that all three Commissioners unanimously approved the SIR, the BJP argues the charges have been disproved and demands a public apology and his resignation as Leader of the Opposition.
What did the Election Commission clarify about the SIR?
On 26 September, the ECI stated that decisions on the SIR were taken unanimously by all three members of the Commission and that the order dated 24 June 2025 was approved for all states and Union Territories. It also announced a simplified home-visit process for voters who received discrepancy notices.
How does the simplified SIR notice process work for affected voters?
Voters who received notices due to record-mapping or logical discrepancies will not normally need to appear at the Electoral Registration Officer's office. Instead, Booth Level Officers will visit their homes, collect the required documents, and upload them on ECINet.
Who spoke at the BJP press conference in Bhopal?
Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Mohan Yadav and State BJP President Hemant Khandelwal jointly addressed the press conference in Bhopal on 27 September, targeting the Congress and demanding Rahul Gandhi's apology and resignation.
