Sibal alleges electoral roll revision aimed at helping BJP, urges SC to act

Rajya Sabha MP Kapil Sibal on Wednesday alleged that the Election Commission's ongoing Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls is a politically motivated exercise designed to benefit the BJP in upcoming elections. He urged the Supreme Court to intervene and halt what he termed "bulk deletions" of voters.

Speaking to reporters, Sibal pointed to a newspaper investigation in Jharkhand's Godda district, where BJP agents were reportedly seeking the removal of voters, predominantly from the minority community. He claimed that Booth Level Officers (BLOs), who are state government employees, had raised objections in this instance.

Sibal argued that the current rules allow for the filing of bulk deletion forms without providing specific reasons for each name. He alleged that many of the targeted individuals in Jharkhand had been residents for years, some since before Independence. "If this is the way things are going to be done, what's the point of having an election?" he asked.

The former Union Minister cited figures to illustrate the scale of the deletions, claiming that approximately 45 to 47 lakh names had been removed from electoral rolls in Delhi alone, a figure he said represents a significant portion of the capital's 1.5 crore electorate. He further alleged that 2.05 crore names had been cut in Uttar Pradesh, with a total of five to six crore names removed nationwide since the SIR process began.

Sibal expressed concern that the pressure to delete names would be even greater in states where the BJP is in power, as BLOs, often government school teachers, could be more easily pressured to comply. "Where they are in power, who will object?" he questioned.

His remarks follow similar criticism from Congress leaders Mallikarjun Kharge and Rahul Gandhi, who have accused the Election Commission of facilitating "vote chori" (vote theft) to ensure the BJP's victory.