BJP Manipur Pradesh general secretary K. Sarat Kumar has launched a sharp attack on the Congress over its nationwide agitation against the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls, accusing the party of deliberately creating confusion among the public over an exercise being conducted by the Election Commission of India (ECI).
Sarat Kumar said the Congress had no basis to portray SIR as a politically motivated exercise, stressing that the revision of electoral rolls was being carried out by the ECI and was not a new practice. He alleged that the Congress itself had undertaken SIR-related exercises while in government but was now opposing the process for political reasons.
His remarks came amid the Congress campaign targeting Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar over the SIR exercise.
Questioning the Congress’ objections, Sarat Kumar alleged that the party was attempting to turn an electoral-roll revision into a political controversy and mislead people by spreading what he described as baseless allegations. He appealed to the public to examine the facts of the ECI’s exercise instead of being swayed by the Congress campaign.
The BJP leader’s defence comes days after the ECI, in Press Note No. ECI/PN/120/2026 issued on September 26, announced measures concerning the ongoing SIR and sought to address concerns over the process. The Commission said the SIR order issued on June 24, 2025, covering all States and Union Territories in phases, had received unanimous approval of the Commission and was upheld by the Supreme Court in its May 27, 2026 order.
Under the latest measures, Booth Level Officers will visit the homes of persons who have received notices over unmapped names or logical discrepancies, collect the required documents and upload them on the ECINet for consideration by the Electoral Registration Officer. Such persons will ordinarily not be required to appear personally before the ERO or Assistant Electoral Registration Officer, except in exceptional cases, with online hearings to be facilitated.
The ECI has also directed District Election Officers to establish help desks and organise special camps for vulnerable sections, including people living in night shelters, labourers, poor and homeless persons. The Commission said SIR had already been completed in 20 States and Union Territories and that persons left out of the rolls, including young and first-time voters, could seek inclusion through the continuous updation process.
Sarat Kumar maintained that these provisions demonstrated that the SIR was an administrative exercise aimed at electoral-roll revision and not a political weapon, and accused the Congress of manufacturing controversy around the process.
