A direct confrontation has erupted between the Punjab Congress and the Election Commission over the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls, with state party president Pargat Singh declaring the amended Form 6 “totally illegal” and Congress coordinator Hardeep Singh Kingra asserting that the party never consented to the final electoral rolls.
Nobody signed it,” he said. The Congress’s stand contradicts Chief Electoral Officer Anindita Mitra’s claim that political parties cooperated with the exercise, expressed satisfaction with the process and gave written consent for deletions. However, the claim that the form is illegal remains the Congress’s position and should not be treated as a judicial finding. “The Congress appointed me as the chief coordinator for Punjab’s SIR. We attend meetings convened by the Chief Electoral Officer, where participants sign the attendance sheet. His statement directly challenges the CEO’s account of the consultation process and raises questions about the records of meetings, the objections submitted by the Congress and the documents on which the Election Commission relies to establish political parties’ consent.
Therefore, it is totally illegal,” Pargat said, challenging the legal basis for introducing additional requirements in the voter-enrolment process. The conflicting accounts have brought the legality of the amended form and the Election Commission’s claim of political consensus under scrutiny ahead of the 2027 Punjab assembly elections. “Regarding Form 6, which was amended, that was neither directed by the Supreme Court nor amended by Parliament. The Congress president’s objection puts the focus on whether the additional requirements associated with Form 6 were introduced under proper legal authority. The dispute has given the Congress an opportunity to raise voter rights, transparency and the Election Commission’s accountability as political parties prepare for the 2027 assembly elections.
