BJP leaders Ravi Shankar Prasad and Sambit Patra cite ECI’s clarification, while accusing Congress of undermining constitutional institutions
New Delhi, Sept 2026 : The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) on Saturday sharply criticised the Congress over its allegations against the Election Commission of India (ECI), accusing the opposition party of questioning constitutional institutions for political purposes.
The BJP’s response came after the ECI issued a detailed press note following a meeting of Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar and Election Commissioners Sukhbir Singh Sandhu and Vivek Joshi. The Commission said key decisions concerning the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls had been taken with the unanimous approval of all three commissioners. It also clarified the context of a letter sent to the Cabinet Secretary, saying the communication related to an administrative matter involving an officer on deputation rather than an ECI policy decision.
Addressing a press conference, BJP MP and former Union Law Minister Ravi Shankar Prasad accused Congress leaders, including Leader of Opposition in the Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi, of making what he described as “baseless and shameful” allegations against the poll panel.
Prasad said the ECI’s latest clarification had addressed questions over whether decisions linked to the SIR exercise were being taken collectively. He said the Commission had made it clear that the process had the consent of the Chief Election Commissioner as well as the two Election Commissioners.
The BJP leader also referred to the Supreme Court’s May 2026 judgment on the Bihar SIR. The court upheld the Election Commission’s authority to conduct the revision, while examining the constitutional and statutory framework governing electoral rolls. The judgment noted the Commission’s powers under Article 324 of the Constitution and Section 21(3) of the Representation of the People Act, 1950.
Prasad further pointed to the role of Form 6 in the electoral-roll revision process. The ECI has maintained that eligible persons who are left out of the electoral rolls can use Form 6 to seek inclusion. The Commission’s voter services portal currently provides Form 6 as the mechanism for new voter registration and also carries facilities related to the ongoing SIR exercise.
Taking aim at the Congress leadership, Prasad questioned why opposition parties repeatedly raise concerns about the Election Commission after electoral setbacks. He referred to Congress’s electoral performance in Tamil Nadu and West Bengal and questioned the party’s efforts to build alliances in Uttar Pradesh.
Prasad also criticised Rahul Gandhi personally, alleging that the Congress leader was attacking the Election Commission because of political setbacks. These remarks were part of the BJP’s political response to the Congress allegations and were not independently established claims.
BJP MP Sambit Patra also defended the Election Commission’s position, saying the latest press release had addressed the allegations raised by the Congress. He alleged that the opposition party was attempting to undermine the credibility of constitutional institutions for political reasons.
Patra specifically rejected the Congress allegation that the Election Commission was being used by the BJP as a “pawn”. He described the charge as an attempt to weaken the credibility of institutions responsible for conducting elections.
The BJP leader further alleged that Rahul Gandhi’s political objective was to return to power and claimed that the Congress was targeting constitutional institutions after failing to secure electoral victories. He accused the opposition of seeking to disrupt the democratic system if it could not win elections.
The BJP’s statements came amid an ongoing political dispute over the SIR exercise, Form 6, ECINET and reports of differences within the Election Commission. The ECI has denied that its major SIR decisions were the result of internal disagreement, saying they were approved unanimously. The Commission has also announced measures to streamline the notice and hearing process for electors and extended certain deadlines in Delhi and Maharashtra.
The Congress, meanwhile, has continued to question the Election Commission’s handling of the SIR process and its internal functioning. The competing positions underline the continuing political dispute over electoral-roll revision, with the BJP relying on the ECI’s latest clarification and the Supreme Court’s judgment, while the Congress has raised concerns about the implementation and transparency of the exercise.
