A direct confrontation has erupted between the Punjab Congress and the Election Commission over the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls, with state party president Pargat Singh declaring the amended Form 6 “totally illegal” and Congress coordinator Hardeep Singh Kingra asserting that the party never consented to the final electoral rolls.
The Congress’s stand contradicts Chief Electoral Officer Anindita Mitra’s claim that political parties cooperated with the exercise, expressed satisfaction with the process and gave written consent for deletions. Pargat further raised concerns over the statutory protections available to the Chief Election Commissioner. However, the claim that the form is illegal remains the Congress’s position and should not be treated as a judicial finding. Kingra, appointed by the Congress as its chief coordinator for the SIR exercise in Punjab, rejected the claim that the party had endorsed the final electoral rolls.
The conflicting accounts have brought the legality of the amended form and the Election Commission’s claim of political consensus under scrutiny ahead of the 2027 Punjab assembly elections. The Congress president’s objection puts the focus on whether the additional requirements associated with Form 6 were introduced under proper legal authority.
He also questioned the Election Commission’s earlier justification for the amendment, alleging that Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar had claimed the changes were backed by a Supreme Court directive.
Kingra claimed that he had submitted several written objections, including concerns about possible data manipulation at the Election Commission level, and had sought responses from the authorities. He alleged that an official had assured him a response would be provided the following day. For Pargat Singh, the challenge is to establish the legal basis of the party’s objections and substantiate concerns over the revised form. For the Election Commission, the immediate task is to demonstrate that the process followed the applicable rules, that deletions were properly documented and that eligible voters had an effective opportunity to seek inclusion.
The dispute has given the Congress an opportunity to raise voter rights, transparency and the Election Commission’s accountability as political parties prepare for the 2027 assembly elections.
“No consent, written or otherwise, was given,” he asserted.
