Opposition Wants SIR Debate In Parliament, Centre Seeks Smooth Conduct( Representative Image (Source: X))
The government's all-party meeting held a day before the winter session of Parliament was dominated by one issue—the special intensive revision (SIR) of electoral rolls. Opposition parties strongly demanded a full debate on the matter when Parliament convenes, highlighting concerns over delays, heavy workload, and reported deaths of booth level officers (BLOs).
Opposition leaders insisted that Parliament must discuss the SIR process, especially after the Election Commission extended the deadlines by seven days across 12 states and Union Territories. Many argued that the extension itself shows the earlier timeline was unrealistic.
Congress MP Pramod Tiwari said nearly all Opposition parties were seeking a discussion on SIR, adding that the extension clearly shows the commission has not met its own targets. He accused the government of not wanting scrutiny and insisted that the Prime Minister should be present during the session.
CPI(M)'s John Brittas also pointed out that the extended timeline indicates the process is not going as planned. Samajwadi Party leader Ram Gopal Yadav expressed worry over the extreme pressure on BLOs, claiming to have a suicide note written by one officer overwhelmed by workload.
Trinamool Congress MP Kalyan Banerjee made sharp remarks, saying that several BLOs are dying by suicide and insisting that Parliament must examine the issue urgently. He alleged that the Election Commission now “focuses more on deleting names from voter lists than adding new voters.”
Banerjee also criticised the format of all-party meetings, saying they have turned into a symbolic exercise where the government listens but does nothing. He questioned the reluctance to hold a discussion on SIR and challenged Union Home Minister Amit Shah’s comment on infiltrators, asking how many such cases were found in Bihar.
Shiromani Akali Dal MP Harsimrat Kaur Badal said her party agreed with the concerns voiced by the Opposition.
Parliamentary Affairs Minister Kiren Rijiju said the discussion remained “positive and constructive,” with 36 parties and 50 leaders attending. He acknowledged that many Opposition leaders demanded a discussion on SIR but clarified that only the business advisory committee can decide what gets listed in Parliament’s agenda.
He added that no party had explicitly planned to disrupt the upcoming session, though some hinted at protests if the SIR issue is ignored. Rijiju said the government is open to dialogue and appealed to parties not to block the functioning of Parliament simply because they disagree on particular topics.
Regional parties did not speak in one voice.
TDP MP Lavu Sri Krishna Devarayalu supported the Election Commission and said that parties which skip consultation meetings later raise objections unnecessarily.
On the other hand, JDU’s national executive president Sanjay Jha accused the Opposition of politicising SIR. He said Bihar completed the entire exercise in a month without any problems and recalled that the previous parliamentary session was also disrupted due to similar disputes.
Earlier in the day, the Election Commission issued updated deadlines for all 12 states and Union Territories involved in SIR. The revised schedule is as follows:
Enumeration: till December 11
Draft Rolls Publication: December 16
Claims and Objections: till January 15
Notice & Hearing: till February 7
Final Electoral Roll: February 14
