'Congress will not tolerate deletion of rightful voters' says Congress' Sachin Pilot on SIR

Raipur (Chhattisgarh) [India], November 26 (ANI): Congress leader Sachin Pilot on Wednesday raised concerns over the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) process, saying that several issues have emerged this time, including reports of Booth Level Officers (BLOs) dying by suicide.
Pilot said the Congress will not allow valid voters, especially the poor, Dalits and backward communities, to be removed from the electoral list unfairly and warned that the party will expose the Election Commission if it acts under pressure.
Speaking to the reporters in Raipur, Pilot said, "The SIR has been launched in several states. SIR has been conducted many times in the country before, but this time, many questions are being raised about the SIR. In many states, BLOs are committing suicide... We do not want even a single invalid voter to be on the list."
"But if a citizen of the country, who has the right to vote, is deliberately deleted because they are poor, Dalit, backwards... the Congress Party will not tolerate injustice by deleting that person's name... If the Election Commission's intentions are not impartial, if it is not working selflessly and is working under pressure, then we will work to expose it... The Congress Party is organising a massive event at Ramlila Maidan in Delhi on the 14th December," he said.
Congress general secretary KC Venugopal announced that the party will hold the" Vote Chor Gaddi Chhod Maha Rally" on December 14 to "send a message across the nation" against the alleged "vote theft."
"The spectre of Vote Chori is the biggest danger looming over our democracy today. To send a message across the nation against these attempts to destroy our Constitution, the Congress will be holding the Vote Chor Gaddi Chhod Maha Rally on December 14th (1.30 pm onwards) at Ramlila Maidan, New Delhi," KC Venugopal said in a post on X.
He added that the rally would mark the Congress's fight to "reclaim Indian democracy from the clutches of the Vote Chors."
Currently, a nationwide SIR is being carried out in 12 states and union territories, with the final elector's list to be published on February 7, 2026.
These states and UTs are: Andaman and Nicobar Islands, Chhattisgarh, Goa, Gujarat, Kerala, Lakshadweep, Madhya Pradesh, Puducherry, Rajasthan, Tamil Nadu, Uttar Pradesh and West Bengal.
According to the Election Commission, printing and training took place from October 28 to November 3, followed by an Enumeration Phase from November 4 to December 4.
The draft electoral rolls will be published on December 9, followed by a claims and objections period from December 9 to January 8, 2026. The Notice Phase (for hearing and verification) will take place between December 9 and January 31, 2026, with publication of Final Electoral Rolls on February 7, 2026.
The opposition has strongly opposed the SIR process, alleging that it is aimed at striking the names of voters from underprivileged communities off the voter lists. (ANI)