Senior leaders of the INDIA bloc met in New Delhi on 30 September 2026 to address concerns over the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls and the functioning of the Election Commission. Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge called for the use of the pre-SIR electoral roll in future elections and emphasised the need for unity among opposition parties. The meeting included leaders from Congress, Trinamool Congress, Samajwadi Party, CPI, CPI(M), NCP(SP), and Shiv Sena (UBT), among others.
According to The Hindu, Mallikarjun Kharge asserted that the opposition would not allow transparency to be replaced by secrecy and demanded the removal of Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar. He also announced a series of public actions, including a march to the Election Commission on 6 October and a “Save Democracy” campaign from 2 to 6 October across all districts.
As reported by Hindustan Times, the Congress party presented six demands at the meeting, including reverting to ballot paper voting instead of Electronic Voting Machines (EVMs), suspending the SIR process, and restoring the names of 13.3 crore voters reportedly deleted from the rolls. The bloc also prepared a draft notice for a motion in Parliament seeking the removal of the Chief Election Commissioner.
As highlighted by Deccan Herald, Kharge described EVMs as a tool for the BJP and insisted on returning to ballot papers to restore public confidence in the electoral process. He criticised the appointment of Gyanesh Kumar as CEC, calling him a “rubber stamp,” and expressed concern over the deletion of millions of voters from the rolls. Kharge stated, “No genuine Indian citizen should be forced out of the electoral process through an opaque, arbitrary or inadequately supervised exercise.”
“We will not allow the fundamental principle of our Republic -- one person, one vote, one value -- to be weakened,” Kharge said during the meeting.
Deliberations at the meeting included finalising an action plan for joint agitation and reviewing the draft notice for the CEC’s removal. The bloc viewed the SIR controversy as an opportunity to consolidate opposition unity and challenge the government’s handling of electoral reforms.
Key leaders such as Mamata Banerjee, Sonia Gandhi, Rahul Gandhi, and representatives from several regional parties attended the meeting as details emerged. The Congress party reiterated its commitment to protecting the Constitution and accused the government of attempting to manipulate the electoral process to remain in power.
Attendance at the meeting was broad, though some allies, including the DMK and Aam Aadmi Party, did not participate according to participant lists. The bloc discussed strategies to bring non-attending parties on board for future actions.
“The poor possess only one source of power: their vote. We will not let that be snatched away under any circumstances,” Kharge stated, highlighting the significance of voter rights.
Further analysis showed that the Congress Working Committee demanded a halt to the SIR process and restoration of all deleted voters. The party also called for transparency in electoral roll changes and independent inquiries into discrepancies, emphasising the need for timely information to political parties and affected voters.
Note: This article is produced using AI-assisted tools and is based on publicly available information. It has been reviewed by The Quint's editorial team before publishing.