Kharge Questions ‘VIP Electors’ Label, Calls SIR Process Flawed

NEW DELHI, Sep 21 : Congress president and Leader of the Opposition in the Rajya Sabha Mallikarjun Kharge on Monday stepped up his criticism of the Election Commission of India (ECI) over the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls, alleging that the exercise had exposed serious flaws in voter verification and was now affecting even prominent figures associated with the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP).

Kharge said the Congress had opposed the process from the outset, arguing that an exercise that began in Bihar and was subsequently extended to Delhi raised concerns over the protection of citizens’ voting rights.

In a post on social media platform X, Kharge said the developments in Delhi had vindicated the Congress’ earlier objections to the SIR process, which the party had described as flawed.

Describing SIR as an alleged instrument of “vote theft” and an attempt to undermine democracy, Kharge referred to it as a “Frankenstein Monster” and claimed that the process was now affecting members of the political establishment associated with its implementation.

He cited notices reportedly issued to senior BJP leader Lal Krishna Advani, the External Affairs Minister, the Delhi Lieutenant Governor, a Rajya Sabha member, a former Union minister and a former chief minister. He also referred to notices reportedly issued earlier to a Bharat Ratna-awarded scientist and a former Chief of Naval Staff, questioning the basis for subjecting such individuals to scrutiny.

Kharge also referred to appeals against voter deletions in West Bengal, claiming that 93 per cent of the cases decided so far had been won by the appellants. According to figures cited by him, 1,13,943 voters would be restored to the electoral rolls.

“Kis aadhar par unka matadhikar chheena gaya?” (On what basis was their right to vote taken away?) Kharge asked, questioning the grounds for excluding voters from the electoral register.

He also questioned the Election Commission’s reference to “VIP/marked electors” in an official press release, asking whether India’s system of universal adult franchise now distinguished between privileged and ordinary voters.

“Kya ab Bharat ke Universal Adult Franchise mein matdataon ki koi special category hai — VIP matdata aur aam matdata?” he asked, invoking the principle of “One Person, One Vote, One Value”.

Kharge further questioned whether the term “VIP elector” implied that some votes were being accorded greater importance than others.

Referring to the broader scale of the SIR exercise, Kharge claimed that 13.8 crore voters had been excluded from electoral rolls across 31 states and Union Territories during its first three phases, out of a total electorate of 94.78 crore. He put the figure at approximately 14.61 per cent and questioned why, according to him, there had been limited attention to the concerns of ordinary voters facing possible exclusion.

Kharge concluded by contrasting the ECI’s communication concerning prominent individuals with what he described as a lack of adequate attention to the concerns of ordinary voters.

“VIPs ke liye press release, karodon aam matdataon ke liye khamoshi!” (A press release for VIPs, silence for crores of ordinary voters), he said.

His remarks come amid continuing political and legal scrutiny of the SIR process, including voter verification, electoral-roll deletions and appeals against exclusion. The Election Commission has defended the revision exercise, while legal proceedings have examined issues concerning voter verification and safeguards available to those challenging electoral-roll decisions.