Congress leader P. Chidambaram on Friday targeted the Election Commission of India after the body announced a Special Summary Revision in 17 states. He questioned why 13.3 crore names were removed earlier. "Mr Gyanesh Kumar should be surcharged for the double expenditure," he said, demanding accountability for the extra costs.
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Congress leader P Chidambaram on Friday targeted the Election Commission of India (ECI), after the poll body announced Special Summary Revision (SSR) of voters' list across 17 states amid nationwide SIR standoff
The development came soon after after the Supreme Court of India issued a notice to ECI and CEC Gyanesh Kumar, over SIR on Thursday (October 15).
In a post on X, Chidambaram said the decision came after protests and a notice issued by the Supreme Court. He questioned why 20 states had been subjected to SIR and alleged that 13.3 crore names, including those of deceased voters, had been removed without due process.
"After the protests and the notice issued by the Supreme Court, wisdom has dawned on the ECI and Mr Gyanesh Kumar. S.I.R. has been abandoned for the 17 remaining States and UTs, and it will only be the customary SSR (special summary revision). Documents to prove citizenship need not be produced. Why were 20 States discriminated against under S.I.R. and 13,30,00,000 names (including the dead) were removed without Due Process?," the former union minister wrote.
He also questioned the need for another exercise to include voters allegedly left out of the electoral rolls and demanded that Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar be held accountable for the additional expenditure.
"After removing crores of names illegally, now the ECI has undertaken another exercise to include the 'left out' voters! Mr Gyanesh Kumar should be surcharged for the double expenditure," Chidambaram said.
What did the poll body announce
The Election Commission of India (ECI) has issued directives to 17 States and Union Territories to undertake a Special Summary Revision (SSR) of electoral rolls, setting January 1, 2027, as the qualifying date.
The exercise is being initiated under Section 21 of the Representation of the People Act, 1950, aimed at updating voter rolls and enrolling eligible electors.
The 17 States and Union Territories included in this phase are: Andaman and Nicobar Islands, Assam, Bihar, Chhattisgarh, Goa, Gujarat, Kerala, Lakshadweep, Madhya Pradesh, Manipur, Puducherry, Punjab, Rajasthan, Tamil Nadu, Uttar Pradesh, Uttarakhand and West Bengal.
The letter stated that the schedule for states and Union Territories where the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) is ongoing or has recently concluded, including Andhra Pradesh, Haryana, Karnataka, Maharashtra, Odisha, Telangana and Delhi, would be announced separately.
The schedule for Himachal Pradesh, Jammu and Kashmir, and Ladakh, where the exercise is yet to begin, will also be notified later, taking local weather conditions into account.
As per the timeline, polling stations will be rationalised by November 2. The draft electoral rolls are scheduled for publication on November 12, followed by a period for filing claims and objections until December 11. These submissions will be processed by December 28, while the final electoral rolls are expected to be released on January 4, 2027.