The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) on Tuesday, 29 September 2026, sharply rebuked the Congress over its allegations of irregularities in Gujarat's electoral rolls under the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) exercise, dismissing the opposition's claims as a 'political illusion' and asserting that Congress had effectively conceded defeat in the 2027 Gujarat Assembly elections. The BJP's counter-offensive came as hundreds of Congress workers staged street protests in Ahmedabad, demanding a probe into alleged voter deletions.

BJP's Response: 'Stop Dreaming'

State BJP chief spokesperson Anil Patel said Congress leaders should 'stop dreaming' and alleged the party had become politically irrelevant in the state. He claimed the BJP had enjoyed the support of Gujarat's electorate for more than three decades and that its grassroots network would deliver a massive mandate in the next Assembly polls. Patel went further, saying that Congress had, in effect, already accepted its 2027 defeat, pointing to what he described as the enduring strength of the BJP's leadership and vision as the reason people continued to join the party.

Congress Takes to the Streets in Ahmedabad

Earlier on Tuesday, Congress workers dressed in black marched from Patang Hotel to Sardar Bagh in Ahmedabad, where they staged a sit-in protest and burnt an effigy of Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) Gyanesh Kumar. The demonstration was led by Gujarat Congress president Amit Chavda and Congress Legislature Party (CLP) leader Tushar Chaudhary. Similar protests had been organised across Gujarat on Monday, with the party demanding Kumar's removal over allegations of large-scale voter deletions from the electoral rolls.

Congress Allegations: Vote Deletions and a 'Puppet' Poll Body

Addressing party workers, Chavda alleged that deleting a genuine voter's name from the electoral roll amounted to an attack on an individual's democratic rights. 'Vote theft is a betrayal of the people's right to vote,' he said. Chavda further alleged that the Election Commission — a constitutionally autonomous institution — had become a 'puppet of the Modi government' and questioned Kumar's personal role in the alleged irregularities. He demanded Kumar's removal and sought legal action if the allegations were proven.

Chavda also said that Leader of the Opposition in Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi had been raising concerns over alleged vote theft since 2023 through press conferences, yatras, protests, signature campaigns, memoranda, and interventions in Parliament. According to Chavda, the SIR exercise had allegedly led to the wrongful deletion of genuine voters and the addition of bogus names to electoral rolls.

Marginalised Voters at the Centre of the Dispute

CLP leader Tushar Chaudhary stressed that the SIR process should not deprive genuine voters of their voting rights, particularly members of Scheduled Castes, Scheduled Tribes, the Bakshipanch community, and economically weaker sections in tribal regions. He demanded transparent answers on the exercise and called for strict legal action if any irregularities were established.

What Happens Next

The Congress has said all allegations concerning the electoral process and the Election Commission must be investigated impartially and in accordance with the law. With the 2027 Gujarat Assembly elections approaching, the SIR controversy is set to intensify the political battle between the two parties in a state the BJP has held uninterrupted since 1995. Whether the Election Commission responds to the protest demands will likely determine the next escalation in this standoff.