Stories
Congress Faces Double Standards Criticism Over SIR Stance in Delhi and South
- •The Congress party is facing questions over its contradictory stance on the Special Intensive Revision of voter lists.
- •In Delhi, Rahul Gandhi and the party are leading an aggressive campaign against Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar over SIR.
- •Conversely, in Tamil Nadu, Congress MP Karti Chidambaram stated that the impact of SIR has been limited, showing a softer approach in the South.
- •State-level political necessities and alliances, such as with the DMK in Tamil Nadu, appear to influence the party's varying stance.
- •Critics argue the Congress must bridge the gap between its national protests and regional messaging to escape allegations of opportunistic politics.
Key Questions Answered
The Congress party has strongly attacked Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar in Delhi over the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of voter lists, demanding his immediate resignation and calling for a nationwide campaign. Following a Congress Working Committee meeting, the party also urged that 13.3 million deleted voters be re-added to the rolls and that ongoing SIR work be halted immediately.
While Congress leaders like Rahul Gandhi have turned the SIR issue into an aggressive do-or-die battle against the Election Commission in Delhi, leaders in the South like Karti Chidambaram have downplayed its impact, stating that people's experiences in Tamil Nadu have been limited compared to states like West Bengal and Bihar. This contrast has led critics to question whether the party is engaging in opportunistic politics based on regional alliances and state-level conveniences.
According to figures cited by Congress general secretary Jairam Ramesh, approximately 6.18 crore names have already been deleted during the third phase of the SIR across 12 states and two Union Territories. An additional 5.43 crore voters have been issued notices demanding extra documentation, meaning that roughly 32 percent of voters in those regions have either had their names deleted or face the risk of removal.
