Congress calls SIR in MP a ‘conspiracy’ to disenfranchise 50 lakh voters

The Madhya Pradesh Congress on Wednesday accused the Election Commission’s ongoing Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls of being a politically motivated move aimed at striking off nearly 50 lakh voters from the list before the 2028 assembly elections.

Leader of Opposition Umang Singhar said the month-long verification drive, set to run from November 4 to December 4 , was “hasty and unrealistic.” He claimed the process would end up targeting tribal, Dalit, minority, and backward-class voters, especially those in remote areas lacking digital or document access.

“This is not a cleansing of the rolls but a restriction of democratic rights,” Singhar said, warning that 22 percent of MP’s tribal population and lakhs of migrant workers could lose their voting rights. He pointed out that while the Forest Rights Certificate is among the 13 documents required for verification, more than three lakh such claims have already been rejected in the state.

Citing Bihar’s recent experience where 47 lakh names were reportedly removed , the Congress leader alleged that a similar pattern could disenfranchise voters nationwide. He also questioned why Assam was excluded from the SIR list, calling the explanation linked to the NRC “misleading.”

“The Commission must explain its selection criteria. The haste and secrecy raise doubts about the transparency of the process,” Singhar added.

The Election Commission , led by Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar , has maintained that the SIR aims to ensure accuracy in voter rolls through door-to-door verification.

The revision will cover 12 states and Union Territories , Andaman and Nicobar Islands, Lakshadweep, Chhattisgarh, Goa, Gujarat, Kerala, Madhya Pradesh, Puducherry, Rajasthan, Tamil Nadu, Uttar Pradesh, and West Bengal, and is expected to verify details of over 51 crore voters .

With similar concerns being raised in multiple states, the SIR has become a subject of daily political debate as parties assess its potential impact on upcoming elections.