Congress MP Priyanka Gandhi Vadra has rejected the BJP’s criticism of her party’s concerns over electoral rolls, alleging that evidence supports its claims about large-scale voter deletions during the Special Intensive Revision. The BJP and Election Commission have disputed the Congress narrative, while the poll panel maintains that the SIR process is being conducted within the legal framework.
Wayanad, Sept 2026 : Congress MP Priyanka Gandhi Vadra on Friday hit back at the Bharatiya Janata Party over its criticism of the Congress for questioning the electoral process, saying the party should stop making what she described as “lame excuses” amid the ongoing controversy over the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls.
Speaking to reporters in her parliamentary constituency of Wayanad, Kerala, Priyanka said the Congress had presented what it considers evidence supporting its concerns over the electoral-roll revision. She referred to claims made by her brother and Leader of Opposition in the Lok Sabha, Rahul Gandhi, during recent press conferences.
“That’s a very stale and weak story. There are facts, and there is evidence. It is there for the whole country to see,” Priyanka said, referring to the BJP’s criticism. She claimed that 13 crore voters had been deleted during the revision exercise.
Her figure corresponds to the scale of deletions reported during the SIR process across states and Union Territories. An Indian Express investigation reported that more than 13 crore names had been struck off draft electoral rolls in 30 states and Union Territories. The report also said Election Commissioners Sukhbir Singh Sandhu and Vivek Joshi had raised objections on multiple occasions over aspects of the exercise.
Priyanka further alleged that any political interference in the electoral process would constitute a serious offence against democratic institutions. She accused the BJP of being “overconfident” and alleged that elections had been manipulated over a period of years. These claims are allegations by the Congress and have not been established as findings against the BJP or the Election Commission.
The Election Commission has defended the SIR process, maintaining that electoral-roll revision is being carried out under the applicable legal framework. The poll panel has also rejected suggestions that reported differences among Election Commissioners represented an institutional breakdown, saying internal observations and deliberations are part of the functioning of a multi-member constitutional body and that final decisions on SIR were unanimous.
Priyanka’s remarks came a day after Rahul Gandhi launched a fresh attack on Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar and the BJP-led Centre over what he described as “vote theft”. He demanded Kumar’s resignation and alleged that the functioning of the electoral system had undermined constitutional safeguards.
The Congress has intensified its campaign over the SIR issue in recent days, with party leaders demanding greater transparency in electoral-roll revision and questioning the Election Commission’s handling of voter data.
Meanwhile, the controversy has widened beyond Congress and BJP, with several Opposition parties raising concerns about voter deletions and the functioning of the Election Commission. The poll panel has maintained that the purpose of SIR is to verify electoral rolls and remove ineligible entries while providing mechanisms for eligible voters to establish their claims.
Asked about the Congress’ next course of action, Priyanka indicated that the matter would be discussed at the Congress Working Committee meeting.
The dispute is likely to remain focused on the scale and methodology of voter-roll revisions, the reported internal objections within the Election Commission and the safeguards available to voters whose names are flagged or removed during the SIR process.
