Congress general secretary and MP KC Venugopal has written to the Election Commission of India (ECI), alleging the “massive misuse” of Form 7 — the provision used for deletion of voters’ names — to disenfranchise opposition voters. In his letter, Venugopal claimed the exercise was being selectively deployed in areas considered unfavourable to the BJP, resulting in the removal of lakhs of voters.
According to the Congress, Dalits, Adivasis, Other Backward Classes and minority communities have been disproportionately affected. Venugopal described SIR as a “systematic setup” designed to weaken the opposition by altering electoral rolls under the guise of administrative revision. He urged the ECI to intervene immediately, ensure transparency in the process, and prevent what he termed “arbitrary deletions”.
The allegations found resonance among other opposition leaders. Samajwadi Party president Akhilesh Yadav said the “politics of hatred” would not succeed in West Bengal, where he claimed people were troubled by the SIR process. Speaking after a 40-minute meeting with West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee at the state secretariat, Yadav said Banerjee was “truly opposing the BJP” and asserted that the ruling party was now attempting to avoid a humiliating defeat in the state’s upcoming assembly elections.
Yadav added that the Samajwadi Party stood firmly with the Trinamool Congress and that Banerjee would continue to receive public support in her fight against the BJP. He acknowledged that concerns had earlier been raised within the INDIA opposition alliance but said unity against the BJP remained intact.
Congress leader Rahul Gandhi sharpened the attack, alleging that the Election Commission was no longer acting as the “guardian of democracy”. In a post on X, Gandhi claimed that “wherever SIR is implemented, there is vote theft”, alleging that the process had become a weapon to undermine the constitutional principle of one person, one vote.
Referring specifically to Gujarat, Gandhi described the exercise as a “planned, organised and strategic theft of votes”, accusing the ECI of being a “key participant” in the alleged manipulation. He claimed voters were selectively removed from booths and communities that traditionally support the Congress, particularly in constituencies where the BJP fears defeat.
The Election Commission has yet to issue a detailed response to the allegations. The controversy is expected to intensify as opposition parties press for safeguards and judicial scrutiny of the SIR process in the run-up to elections.
