The Punjab Vidhan Sabha on Friday, 23 October 2026, unanimously passed a resolution calling for constitutional safeguards to protect the voting rights of eligible citizens during the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) process for electoral rolls. The resolution was moved by Finance Minister Harpal Singh Cheema and also urged the Union government and relevant constitutional authorities to ensure transparency, impartial scrutiny of electoral roll discrepancies, and accountability in the election process.

What the Resolution Demands

Through the resolution, the Vidhan Sabha called on the Centre and constitutional authorities to guarantee the protection of voting rights, order an impartial inquiry into reported discrepancies in electoral rolls, and establish accountability wherever irregularities are found. Copies of the resolution will be forwarded to the President, the Prime Minister, and the Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) for appropriate follow-up action.

Cheema's Case on the Floor

Addressing the House, Cheema argued that protecting every eligible citizen's right to vote was essential to strengthening Indian democracy. He cited Articles 324, 325, and 326 of the Constitution as pivotal in supervising the electoral machinery, preventing discrimination in voter rolls, and guaranteeing universal adult suffrage.

Invoking the pre-Independence era — when voting rights were restricted to a select section of society — Cheema paid tribute to Bharat Ratna Babasaheb Ambedkar for laying the constitutional foundation for equal voting rights. 'The right to vote was a hard-won democratic privilege that enabled the poor, labourers, Dalits, minorities and all sections of society to participate equally in the governance of the country,' he said.

Concerns Over Electoral Roll Deletions

Cheema expressed concern over reports of large-scale deletions of names from electoral rolls and the exclusion of eligible voters, saying the SIR process had 'raised serious questions about the integrity of the electoral process in different parts of the country.' He noted past controversies surrounding electoral rolls in Delhi and other states, highlighting complaints that supporters of Opposition parties and marginalised communities had been selectively targeted.

He called for a thorough and impartial investigation into such complaints, asserting that any deliberate attempt to undermine the electoral process must invite strict criminal action under the law if established by evidence. 'Public confidence in democratic institutions could be maintained only by ensuring that no eligible voter was excluded,' Cheema said.

A Direct Critique of the Election Commission

In a pointed remark, Cheema called for an independent, transparent, and credible mechanism to examine reported irregularities in electoral rolls and scrutinise administrative conduct under Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar. 'Institutional autonomy, neutrality and accountability of the Election Commission were indispensable to the functioning and survival of constitutional democracy,' he added.

The unanimous passage of the resolution reflects a broader political pushback by Aam Aadmi Party (AAP)-governed Punjab against the Centre and the Election Commission of India (ECI) over the SIR exercise. This comes amid mounting Opposition concerns across multiple states about the transparency of electoral roll revisions ahead of upcoming assembly elections. The Punjab resolution now formally places on record a state legislature's demand for federal accountability on voter rights — a notable escalation in the SIR controversy.