NEW DELHI: BJP allies in the party-led ruling National Democratic Alliance (NDA) on Saturday welcomed the Election Commission of India’s (ECI) statement in response to a media report claiming a “rift” between Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) Gyanesh Kumar and the two Election Commissioners, Sukhbir Singh Sandhu and Vivek Joshi, over the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) exercise.Also Read | ‘Truth has come to light’: BJP after EC clarifies ‘no rift’ over electoral roll revision“In the recent months, the Commission has taken numerous decisions including SIR across the country. The order for the SIR issued on 24.6.2025 for all the States/UTs, starting with Bihar, followed by West Bengal and 30 other States/UTs was issued with the unanimous approval of the Commission. The same has been upheld by the Hon’ble Supreme Court of India vide its order dated 27.5.2026. The schedule for SIR for 12 States and UTs was issued on 27.10.2025 and those for 19 States/UTs was issued on 14.05.2026 with the unanimous approval of the Commission. The final figure of number of electors will be known only after final publication in the remaining 12 states of Phase-III,” the ECI’s press note read.Following the ECI’s statement, Union minister and Lok Janshakti Party (LJP) chief Chirag Paswan, among the first BJP allies to raise the issue, maintained that it was his responsibility to voice any question or concern arising in the public mind.Also Read | ‘Avoids issue of Gen Z voters’: Congress attacks EC’s ‘wishy-washy’ press note, seeks pause in SIR“The concerns raised by the public regarding SIR, which came before us, were presented before the Election Commission… Today, the Election Commission has clearly stated its position on all important issues point by point. The process of SIR, the unanimous agreement of all three commissioners, and the facts related to the meeting with the Cabinet Secretary have also been clearly presented,” Paswan posted in Hindi on X.“This clarity further strengthens public trust in democracy. The Election Commission plays a crucial role in democracy, and in this way, the trust of the country’s people in democracy has increased even more,” the Hajipur MP added.Andhra Pradesh chief minister and Telugu Desam Party (TDP) supremo N Chandrababu Naidu also welcomed the Election Commission’s statement, maintaining that it “reaffirmed the credibility of constitutional institutions.”“Attempts to undermine global confidence in India’s democratic framework or electoral processes for short-term political gains are deeply unfortunate. Electoral outcomes reflect the people’s mandate. In a robust democracy, leadership also means accepting both victories and defeats with grace and humility. Respect for our constitutional institutions is paramount. It is the collective responsibility of leaders across party lines to uphold public confidence in India’s democratic process,” Naidu wrote.BJP national president Nitin Nabin, too, slammed at the Congress-led opposition INDIA bloc for “misleading” the public on SIR.
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NDA constituents such as the LJP, TDP, Rashtriya Lok Morcha, and Janata Dal (Secular), had sought a detailed response from the ECI over The Indian Express report that Election Commissioners Sandhu and Joshi had objected at least 14 times over 10 months to decisions and orders related to the electoral roll revision process, reflecting the unease within the ruling alliance.Meanwhile, opposition parties, including the Congress, Samajwadi Party, Rashtriya Janata Dal, Shiv Sena (UBT) and the Left parties, kept up the heat on the NDA over the issue. The INDIA bloc is likely to meet in Delhi on September 30 to discuss the matter and decide its future course of action.
