"What is the hurry?": SP Chief Akhilesh Yadav alleges pressure on Election Commission staff during SIR process

Lucknow (Uttar Pradesh) [India], November 29 (ANI): Samajwadi Party Chief Akhilesh Yadav alleged that employees of the Election Commission of India are being pressured to complete the SIR process, questioning, "What is the hurry?" He further claimed that people in West Bengal are also raising complaints about the process.
Citing the death of a supervisor in Fatehpur, who allegedly died due to the pressures of the SIR process, the Samajwadi Party Chief, in a press conference, questioned, "Who is going to help the Election Commission employees who are dying during the SIR process?" He further asserted that the ECI should step forward and support the officers.
"When I went to Fatehpur to meet the family of the supervisor (who died during SIR exercise), I was told by the family that he was under tremendous pressure from the government to complete the process quickly. As a result, he committed suicide... What is the hurry? People of West Bengal are also saying that the hands of the Election Commission are smeared with blood. Who is going to help the Election Commission employees who are dying during the SIR process? Election Commission should come forward and help..." said Yadav.
Besides Akhilesh Yadav, many Opposition leaders have raised questions over the conduct of the SIR process. Senior Congress leader Sachin Pilot expressed serious concerns about the ongoing Special Intensive Revision (SIR) process, alleging widespread irregularities and growing distress among officials and voters.
Speaking to ANI in Jaipur, Pilot said that while SIR has taken place multiple times in the past, "earlier when SIR occurred, there was neither any discussion nor any fear in people's minds. But for the first time, people are troubled by this."
Pilot cited reports from Bihar where "the names of lakhs of people have been removed" and claimed that the ongoing verification exercise has given the public "very little time" to respond. He expressed worry over the pressure on Booth Level Officers (BLOs), stating, "In many states, BLOs are committing suicide, while some are complaining; they are under so much stress."
Calling for complete neutrality from the Election Commission of India (ECI), Pilot said, "The Election Commission should work as an impartial institution... The Congress party is running a campaign across the country so that no voter is deprived of their right to vote."
Echoing similar complaints, Biju Janata Dal (BJD) Vice President Prasanna Acharya also alleged that valid voters have been deleted from the electoral rolls on the pretext of Special Intensive Revision (SIR) and expressed apprehension that a similar situation could arise in Odisha.
Speaking to ANI on Friday, Acharya said, "There have been a number of defects in the SIR. But the election commission is not prepared to listen to any objections, and many valid voters have been deleted from the voter list on the pretext of SIR... What happened in Bihar? What is happening in other states? We apprehend that it will also happen in Odisha. The West Bengal government has raised serious objections to the SIR. So there should be a free and fair revision of the entire list, not the way the Election Commission is doing it now."
Meanwhile, Congress leader Supriya Shrinate alleged the deaths of "26 BLOs' due to SIR deaths in 20 days, calling it a murder in broad daylight."
"Every child knows that the SIRs are being conducted across the country, and the way 25 and now 26 BLOs have died in 20 days is like murder in broad daylight. What's the hurry? Take some time and conduct the SIR. The family of Vipin Yadav, the BLO in Gonda who committed suicide by consuming poison, says he was under pressure to remove the names of backward class members from the voter list," said Shrinate.
Additonally, Shrinate also slammed the Election Commission, saying, "Because of SIR, 26 Booth Level Officers (BLOs) have died in 20 days. This is not some narrative but a harsh truth before the nation. Where is Gyanesh Gupta? The list for local body elections in Maharashtra has come out, showing the addresses of 200 people registered at two coaching institutes, where even a bird can't sit. Because of Rahul Gandhi, this country has received evidence and proof of vote theft, and neither Gyanesh Gupta nor the BJP has a single answer to those proofs."
The Election Commission of India will conduct the second phase of the Special Intensive Revision of electoral rolls across 12 states and Union Territories, with the final voter list scheduled to be published on February 7, 2026. The first phase of SIR was completed in Bihar in September ahead of the Assembly elections. The exercise covers Andaman and Nicobar Islands, Chhattisgarh, Goa, Gujarat, Kerala, Lakshadweep, Madhya Pradesh, Puducherry, Rajasthan, Tamil Nadu, Uttar Pradesh, and West Bengal. (ANI)