A fresh political controversy has erupted over the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls, with sharp exchanges between opposition leaders and the BJP over alleged large-scale deletion of voter names.

A senior BJP leader has claimed that around 2 to 3 lakh voters’ names may be deleted from the Kannauj parliamentary constituency, but added that Samajwadi Party chief Akhilesh Yadav won the seat due to his personal political strength, not because of any manipulation.

What is the allegation around SIR?

Opposition leaders, particularly Akhilesh Yadav, have been strongly critical of the SIR process since it began. He has alleged that:

• Voter deletions are happening mainly in constituencies where the BJP loses

• In Uttar Pradesh alone, nearly 3 crore (30 million) voters’ names are likely to be deleted

• In his own parliamentary constituency, around 2 lakh names are being removed

• Deleting 2–3 lakh voters from a single Lok Sabha constituency is “extremely worrying”

According to Akhilesh, the SIR exercise is being used as a tool to cut genuine voters from the rolls, rather than clean up duplicate or invalid entries.

BJP’s response

While acknowledging the scale of deletions being discussed, the BJP leader countered the political charge by stating that:

• Akhilesh Yadav’s electoral victory cannot be questioned

• He won the election on his own merit and political influence

• The SIR process is a routine electoral exercise and should not be politicised

However, the BJP leader’s remark about possible deletion of up to 3 lakh voters in Kannauj has itself added fuel to the debate.

Mamata Banerjee’s stand in West Bengal

The SIR controversy is not limited to Uttar Pradesh.

West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee has taken a strong position, demanding that all deleted voter names be re-verified and re-added if found genuine.

Key developments in Bengal include:

• Door-to-door verification ordered in Bhawanipur

• Around 45,000 voter names removed from draft electoral rolls under SIR

• TMC leadership has instructed party workers that no valid voter’s name should be removed under any circumstances

A Trinamool Congress source said that every deleted name must be physically verified, indicating the party’s intent to challenge deletions at the ground level.