23 parties, Independent MP write to CJI on Election Commission’s SIR exercise

The Congress announced that 23 Opposition parties and one Independent MP have jointly written to Chief Justice of India Surya Kant, raising concerns over the Election Commission’s Special Intensive Revision (SIR) process and other election-related issues. The Opposition alleges the SIR exercise undermines democracy, while the government insists it targets illegal infiltrators.

New Delhi: The Congress on Tuesday said that a joint letter, now signed by 23 political parties and one Independent MP, has been sent to the Chief Justice of India, Justice Surya Kant, regarding the Election Commission of India’s (ECI) Special Intensive Revision (SIR) process and other election-related issues.

Congress MP Jairam Ramesh took to social media ‘X’ and said, “21 political parties plus one Independent attended the INDIA janbandhan meeting on June 8, 2026 where a decision was taken to address a joint letter to the Hon’ble Chief Justice of India on the SIR process of the Election Commission of India and other election-related issues.”

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“Accordingly a joint letter now signed by 23 political parties plus one Independent has been sent to the Hon’ble Chief Justice of India today. The Opposition parties are firmly anchored in SURE – Solidarity, Unity and REsistance,” he said.

On June 8, a meeting of the INDIA bloc was attended by leaders from several Opposition parties. Those present included Congress President Mallikarjun Kharge, senior Congress leader Rahul Gandhi, Samajwadi Party chief Akhilesh Yadav, Trinamool Congress President Mamata Banerjee, senior National Conference leader Omar Abdullah, and NCP(SP) leader Supriya Sule. However, some Opposition parties, including the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) and the Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK), stayed away from the meeting.

Addressing the media after the meeting, Congress President Mallikarjun Kharge had said that representatives from several political parties had participated in the discussions. He stated that a wide range of issues were deliberated upon and that all leaders shared their views during the meeting.

Kharge had also announced that the INDIA bloc had agreed to hold meetings every two months, with the next meeting scheduled to take place in August in Hyderabad, Telangana.

Meanwhile, it has been one year since the Election Commission began the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) process for the comprehensive verification of electoral rolls. According to the Election Commission, the exercise is aimed at ensuring the accuracy of voter lists and strengthening the integrity of the electoral process. A pilot phase of the campaign was launched in Bihar on June 24, 2025, ahead of the Bihar Assembly elections.

As part of the exercise, around six crore names have reportedly been removed from electoral rolls across the country so far. The revision process is still underway in 19 states and union territories. In Bihar alone, around 65 lakh names were removed from the electoral rolls following the initial implementation of the campaign.

Opposition leaders, including the Leader of Opposition in the Lok Sabha, protested against the SIR exercise and held several press conferences on the issue. Congress and other Opposition parties have alleged on multiple occasions that the SIR process is an attempt by the Election Commission to undermine democracy.

On the other hand, Union Home Minister Amit Shah has repeatedly stated that the government’s objective is to identify and remove the names of illegal infiltrators from the electoral rolls and, where applicable, deport them from the country. He has maintained that the revision exercise is intended to ensure that no genuine Indian citizen is excluded from the voter list while illegal infiltrators are identified and removed through a systematic process.

Meanwhile, the Supreme Court, in a recent judgment, observed that the Election Commission has the authority to carry out the SIR process. The court also dismissed objections raised against the revision of the electoral rolls.