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

Bhopal, Oct 29 (PTI) The Congress on Wednesday said the Election Commission’s Special Intensive Revision of electoral rolls in 12 states, including Madhya Pradesh, is a “conspiracy” by the BJP to “disenfranchise” nearly 50 lakh voters in MP before the next assembly polls.

“It (SIR) is a hasty move and has raised serious questions about the Election Commission's intentions,” Leader of Opposition in the state assembly, Umang Singhar, told reporters here, also claiming that the 30-day time period set for the exercise was too short.

He claimed that the current SIR process and time limit pose a direct threat to voters’ rights and the political representation of weaker sections. “This is not a cleansing of the voter list, but a curtailment and control of fundamental rights of democracy,” he said.

According to Singhar, tribals comprise about 22 per cent of MP’s population, and most live in remote areas with limited digital and document access.

The Congress leader said that millions of tribal voters could be removed from the electoral roll through no fault of their own.

He said that as per the 2011 Census, about 25 lakh MP residents work as migrant labourers in other states. Another estimate suggests this number has now reached 45 lakh, said the Congress leader.

Singhar said the Forest Rights Certificate is among the 13 documents the Election Commission has listed for the SIR, while the state government has rejected more than 3 lakh forest rights claims as of March 2025.

In the absence of such certificates, he said, these tribal voters could be deprived of their right to cast their ballots.

Singhar claimed, “In total, the names of 50 lakh voters are being deleted. This is a conspiracy by the BJP for the next assembly elections (in 2028), and they are already preparing for it." Through the Election Commission, the BJP is targeting not only tribal voters but also Dalit, minority, and backward class voters, Singhar claimed.

“Around 47 lakh names were removed from the SIR in Bihar. If this pattern is repeated in other large states, crores of voters could be removed from the list,” he said.

Singhar said the Commission claims that the door-to-door counting of 51 crore voters in 12 states and union territories will be completed in just 30 days, between November 4 and December 4 this year.

He asked, “How is such a massive and complex process possible in such a short time?” Singhar said, “This haste reflects the Commission's lack of understanding of the ground realities or policy haste, which could leave out millions of legitimate voters.” The Congress leader also questioned the basis for the SIR in 12 states and asked why Assam was excluded. “The selection criteria were not publicly disclosed, raising questions about the transparency of the decision,” he said.

“The excuse of NRC for excluding Assam from the SIR is questionable, as NRC (National Register of Citizens) citizenship and SIR are completely different processes for voter rights. Such special treatment raises the possibility of bias,” Singhar said.

The poll body will conduct Phase-2 of the SIR of electoral rolls in 12 states and Union territories, Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar announced on Monday.

The states and UTs are -- Andaman and Nicobar Islands, Lakshadweep, Chhattisgarh, Goa, Gujarat, Kerala, Madhya Pradesh, Puducherry, Rajasthan, Tamil Nadu, Uttar Pradesh and West Bengal.

Of these, Tamil Nadu, Puducherry, Kerala, and West Bengal will go to the polls in 2026.

Kumar has clarified that for Assam, which will also go to polls next year, the revision of electoral rolls will be announced separately. PTI BNS MAS NR