Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis criticised the Congress over its opposition to the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls, sharing an old parliamentary recording of former Union Law Minister Kapil Sibal discussing the process. In a social media post on October 9, Fadnavis questioned the Congress’s current position and referred to Sibal’s earlier remarks as evidence of a difference between the party’s past and present stance. The issue has intensified political tensions as opposition parties continue their protests against the Election Commission of India.

Fadnavis shared the recording on social media platform X, arguing that Sibal had defended aspects of the electoral revision process while serving as Union Law Minister under the previous Congress-led government. He maintained that parliamentary records should be considered while assessing the party’s current criticism of SIR. The Maharashtra chief minister challenged Congress leaders to explain the apparent difference between their earlier statements and their present objections to the exercise.

The controversy centres on the SIR process, through which electoral rolls are reviewed to verify voter eligibility and update registration records. The Election Commission has maintained that such exercises are intended to improve the accuracy of voter lists by identifying issues such as duplicate entries, deceased voters and changes in residence. Opposition parties, however, have raised concerns about the possibility of eligible voters being removed and have questioned the transparency and implementation of the process in different areas.

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Congress and other opposition parties have intensified their criticism of Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar, demanding accountability over the electoral revision exercise. Their protests in Delhi have included demonstrations against the Election Commission and demands for changes to the current process. Opposition leaders have argued that voter-list revisions must protect every eligible citizen’s right to vote and provide adequate safeguards against wrongful deletions.

The BJP has countered these allegations by citing earlier statements from opposition leaders and defending the Election Commission’s role in maintaining electoral rolls. Fadnavis’s latest intervention forms part of the party’s wider response to accusations surrounding SIR. By sharing Sibal’s parliamentary remarks, he sought to question the consistency of the Congress’s position and draw attention to the historical record of discussions on electoral revision.

The debate over SIR has become a significant point of political contention, with the ruling BJP and opposition parties offering different interpretations of the exercise and its implications. While the government and the Election Commission have defended the need for accurate voter lists, opposition leaders continue to seek assurances that eligible voters will not be excluded. The controversy is expected to remain a focus of political discussions as protests and demands for electoral transparency continue.

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