BJP to Launch Nationwide Campaign to Counter Congress Claims on SIR, EC

The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) is preparing to launch a nationwide campaign from next week to counter the Congress’s allegations over the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls and the functioning of the Election Commission of India (ECI).

According to top BJP sources, the party is preparing a 24-page dossier addressing questions and allegations raised by the Opposition. MPs, MLAs and senior leaders are likely to be tasked with taking the party’s arguments to the public in their respective constituencies. The campaign will also use social media and other communication platforms to reach a wider audience.

The BJP plans to present what it describes as factual responses to the Opposition’s claims while highlighting instances in which it alleges that the Congress misused the Election Commission and other institutions when it was in power.

The campaign comes amid escalating tensions between the ruling party and the Opposition over the voter roll revision exercise, with the Congress and other parties questioning the Election Commission’s handling of the process and raising concerns about alleged irregularities.

WHAT IS THE SIR CONTROVERSY?

The Special Intensive Revision is an exercise to verify and update electoral rolls. The Election Commission has maintained that the process is intended to ensure accurate voter lists by identifying ineligible entries, including duplicate and deceased voters, and verifying eligible electors.

However, the exercise has triggered a political confrontation, with Opposition parties alleging that large-scale deletions risk excluding eligible voters. Reports on the revision have indicated that more than 13 crore names were removed from draft electoral rolls across states and Union Territories, bringing the process under intense scrutiny.

The BJP has defended the revision as necessary to maintain the integrity of electoral rolls, while the Congress has questioned the process and accused the poll body of failing to ensure transparency and fairness.

OPPOSITION DEMANDS SCRUTINY OF POLL PANEL

The dispute has widened beyond the revision exercise to include questions about the Election Commission’s independence and the role of Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar. Opposition leaders have demanded accountability over alleged electoral irregularities and called for greater scrutiny of the poll body.

The Supreme Court has also sought responses from the Election Commission and its senior officials on a petition challenging aspects of the SIR process, bringing the controversy into the legal arena.

Against this backdrop, the BJP’s planned campaign is expected to serve as a coordinated political and communication drive to defend the revision exercise, rebut the Congress’s allegations and shift the debate towards the Opposition’s own record in government.

The party is yet to publicly announce the detailed schedule of the campaign or release the proposed dossier.

With inputs from ANI