Chidambaram slams SIR process as 'deeply flawed', cites 14 EC disagreements
Synopsis
Chidambaram's 'deeply flawed' charge against the SIR process is more than an opposition talking point — it is backed by a reported 14 internal disagreements within the Election Commission itself. With the INDIA bloc now weighing a Ramlila Maidan rally and an impeachment motion against CEC Gyanesh Kumar, India's poll body faces its most concentrated political pressure in years.
Key Takeaways
Chidambaram called the ECI's SIR electoral roll revision process 'deeply flawed' on 30 September 2026 .
He cited 14 reported disagreements between the two Election Commissioners and the Chief Election Commissioner as evidence of dysfunction.
Alleged errors in the SIR exercise have been flagged in Karnataka , Maharashtra and Haryana .
The INDIA bloc met in New Delhi to plan a nationwide agitation, including a possible rally at Ramlila Maidan and an impeachment motion against CEC Gyanesh Kumar .
The Congress Working Committee had earlier passed a resolution demanding CEC Kumar's removal .
The Election Commission has maintained that all SIR decisions were taken unanimously.
Congress leader and former Union Minister P. Chidambaram on Wednesday, 30 September 2026, launched a sharp attack on the Election Commission of India (ECI) over the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) process of electoral rolls, calling it 'deeply flawed' and citing reported internal disagreements within the three-member poll panel. His remarks came ahead of a high-stakes INDIA bloc meeting in New Delhi to chalk out a coordinated strategy against the ECI and Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) Gyanesh Kumar.
Chidambaram's Charges Against the ECI
'The Election Commission is totally wrong. The SIR process has been doubted by the two Election Commissioners, and they have pointed out that there were 14 disagreements between the Election Commissioners and the Chief Election Commissioner,' Chidambaram said. He argued that the sheer volume of objections from within the commission itself was proof that the process was compromised.
He further alleged serious errors in the electoral revision exercise across multiple states. 'Too many mistakes have been pointed out in Karnataka, Maharashtra and Haryana. So many mistakes have been pointed out in the past. The SIR process is deeply flawed. If it was not flawed, why should the Election Commission meet again and change the process? What happened a few days ago should be totally scrapped,' he said.
The Internal Rift That Triggered the Row
Reports of differences within the ECI over the SIR exercise have sparked a broader political controversy. According to reports, Election Commissioners Sukhbir Singh Sandhu and Vivek Joshi had raised objections on several issues over a period of 10 months. The Election Commission has, however, maintained that all final decisions on the SIR exercise were unanimous and that the observations raised were part of its internal deliberations — a position the Opposition has rejected as insufficient.
Notably, the Congress Working Committee had already adopted a formal resolution seeking CEC Kumar's removal and flagging concerns over the ECI's functioning — raising the stakes considerably before Wednesday's meeting.
INDIA Bloc Plans Nationwide Agitation
The INDIA bloc meeting, scheduled in New Delhi on Wednesday, is expected to finalise a joint strategy that could include nationwide protests, public rallies and a series of state-level programmes. Among the actions on the table, according to reports, is a major rally at Delhi's Ramlila Maidan. The bloc is also expected to discuss the possibility of an impeachment motion against CEC Kumar in Parliament.
Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge, Congress leader Rahul Gandhi and Sonia Gandhi are expected to represent the Congress at the meeting. Trinamool Congress leaders including Mamata Banerjee, Abhishek Banerjee, Kalyan Banerjee and Derek O'Brien are also expected to attend. Hemant Soren of the Jharkhand Mukti Morcha, Tejashwi Yadav of the Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD), Supriya Sule of the Nationalist Congress Party (NCP), Omar Abdullah of the National Conference and Mehbooba Mufti of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) are also expected to join. Shiv Sena (UBT) chief Uddhav Thackeray is set to participate virtually.
Notably, Samajwadi Party chief Akhilesh Yadav is not likely to attend in person; senior party leader Harendra Malik is expected to represent the party.
ECI's Position and What Comes Next
The Election Commission has consistently rejected the Opposition's characterisation of its decision-making, insisting that member observations were part of routine internal deliberations and that no final decision was taken without consensus. Rahul Gandhi has separately alleged broader irregularities in the electoral process, claims the ECI has also denied.
The INDIA bloc meeting is expected to announce the date of its first major public rally, setting the stage for what could be one of the most sustained Opposition campaigns against the poll body in recent years. How the Election Commission responds — and whether any parliamentary action on the impeachment motion gains traction — will define the trajectory of this standoff in the weeks ahead.
Point of View
It centres on documented internal dissent — specifically, the reported 14 disagreements between the Election Commissioners and the CEC over 10 months. That internal paper trail, if verified, is constitutionally significant and cannot easily be dismissed as political noise. The ECI's defence — that all final decisions were unanimous — does not address the substance of the objections; it merely confirms the outcome, not the process. What is missing from mainstream coverage is a granular accounting of what those 14 disagreements actually concerned and whether any touched on voter eligibility thresholds. The INDIA bloc's push for an impeachment motion is politically performative given the numbers required in Parliament, but it reframes the narrative around institutional accountability rather than partisan grievance — a harder charge to deflect.
NationPress
30 Sept 2026
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the SIR process that Chidambaram has criticised?
The Special Intensive Revision (SIR) is an exercise conducted by the Election Commission of India to update and clean up electoral rolls, adding new voters and removing ineligible entries. Chidambaram and the broader Opposition have alleged that the 2026 SIR exercise was riddled with errors and was pushed through despite significant internal disagreements within the poll panel.
What were the 14 disagreements within the Election Commission?
According to reports cited by Chidambaram and others, Election Commissioners Sukhbir Singh Sandhu and Vivek Joshi raised objections on several aspects of the SIR exercise over a period of 10 months, totalling 14 points of disagreement with Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar. The Election Commission has maintained that all final decisions were ultimately unanimous.
What action is the INDIA bloc planning against the Election Commission?
The INDIA bloc convened a meeting in New Delhi on 30 September 2026 to finalise a joint strategy that reportedly includes nationwide protests, public rallies beginning at Delhi's Ramlila Maidan, state-level programmes, and a possible impeachment motion against CEC Gyanesh Kumar in Parliament. The Congress Working Committee has already passed a resolution demanding the CEC's removal.
Who attended or was expected to attend the INDIA bloc meeting?
Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge, Rahul Gandhi and Sonia Gandhi were expected to represent Congress, alongside Trinamool Congress's Mamata Banerjee and Abhishek Banerjee. Leaders including Hemant Soren, Tejashwi Yadav, Supriya Sule, Omar Abdullah, Mehbooba Mufti and Uddhav Thackeray (virtually) were also expected. Samajwadi Party's Akhilesh Yadav was not likely to attend, with Harendra Malik set to represent the party.
What has the Election Commission said in response to the allegations?
The Election Commission has maintained that all final decisions on the SIR exercise were unanimous and that the internal observations raised by its members were part of its normal deliberative process. It has also rejected Congress leader Rahul Gandhi's broader allegations of irregularities in the electoral process.
