Tripura Chief Minister Manik Saha today defended the Election Commission of India amid the SIR controversy, saying opposition parties were using allegations against the poll panel to shift public attention from the state government’s development work.
Key Takeaways
- Tripura CM Manik Saha defended the ECI’s collective decision-making process amid the SIR controversy.
- Saha cited the Supreme Court judgment on Bihar SIR and the ECI’s September 26 clarification.
- He accused opposition parties of using the ECI controversy to divert public attention from development work.
Tripura Chief Minister Manik Saha today, on September 28, accused opposition parties of making “baseless” allegations against the Election Commission of India (ECI) to divert attention from the development initiatives of the state government.
Speaking to the media at the state BJP headquarters, Saha said differences of opinion could arise within a constitutional institution. He described such differences as part of a healthy democratic process. However, he stressed that the Election Commission takes decisions collectively.
His comments came amid the controversy over the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls and reports of differences among the three members of the poll panel.
Manik Saha Cites ECI Clarification on SIR
Saha referred to the ECI meeting held on September 26. Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar and Election Commissioners Sukhbir Singh Sandhu and Vivek Joshi attended the meeting.
The Commission subsequently issued a detailed clarification on the SIR exercise and related issues, he said.
According to Saha, the ECI made clear that decisions concerning the SIR had been taken unanimously.
The Chief Minister said the revision exercise seeks to keep electoral rolls accurate and reliable. He also referred to the legal provisions governing the ECI’s authority to revise voter lists.
Supreme Court Judgment Cited
Saha also referred to the Supreme Court’s judgment concerning the Bihar SIR.
He said the court had upheld the ECI’s authority to conduct the exercise under Article 324 of the Constitution read with Section 21(3) of the Representation of the People Act, 1950.
According to Saha, the judgment linked voter-list revision with the need to maintain the integrity and accuracy of electoral rolls and ensure free and fair elections.
The Chief Minister also mentioned Form 6, which is used for the enrolment of new voters. He said the Supreme Court had upheld the declaration required during the SIR process.
The ECI’s September 26 clarification, he added, stated that the additional declaration applied specifically to the SIR exercise. The regular statutory Form 6 would continue to apply in other cases.
CM Accuses Opposition of Misinformation
Saha sharply criticised the Congress and other INDIA bloc parties over their approach to the ECI.
He alleged that spreading misinformation and targeting constitutional institutions had become a regular practice of the Opposition.
The Chief Minister said opposition parties were trying to create a misleading narrative around the country’s electoral process. He alleged that their objective was to confuse the public and divert attention from development work and their own alleged failures.
Saha also accused them of shifting the political debate towards what he described as an artificially created crisis.
West Bengal Election Cited
The Chief Minister referred to the recent West Bengal Assembly elections while defending his position on the SIR process.
He said the Trinamool Congress had won the highest number of seats among the 20 constituencies that recorded the largest number of voter deletions after the SIR exercise.
Saha stressed that his remarks were not intended to support the ECI.
“We are only highlighting the facts of the election process and SIR,” he said.
Kerala Results Also Mentioned
Saha also cited the Kerala Assembly elections held after Gyanesh Kumar assumed charge as Chief Election Commissioner on February 19, 2025.
According to the ECI’s final results, the Congress-led United Democratic Front won 97 of the state’s 140 Assembly seats and formed the government.
The Chief Minister said several Assembly and Lok Sabha elections had taken place since Narendra Modi became Prime Minister in 2014.
He claimed that the BJP had won elections on the basis of its performance.
Saha further alleged that opposition parties, including the Congress, Samajwadi Party, Aam Aadmi Party, CPI-M and Trinamool Congress, had targeted the ECI after electoral setbacks.
ECI’s Constitutional Role
Saha said the Election Commission’s role went beyond conducting elections.
According to the Chief Minister, the constitutional body also has a responsibility to ensure that the electoral process remains transparent and constitutionally valid.
He argued that political parties should focus on facts and respect democratic institutions while discussing electoral issues.
Saha Targets Rahul Gandhi
The Chief Minister also criticised Lok Sabha Leader of Opposition Rahul Gandhi.
He referred to Gandhi’s earlier criticism of Electronic Voting Machines and his remarks concerning constitutional institutions and the Judiciary while abroad.
Saha also alleged that Gandhi had made what he described as “baseless” allegations over Rafale fighter aircraft.
The Chief Minister further accused Gandhi of questioning India’s surgical strikes and other defence operations carried out in response to Pakistan and other security threats.
Saha concluded by urging political parties to concentrate on facts and democratic institutions rather than creating what he called “artificial controversies” around the country’s electoral process. (With IANS inputs)
