Maharashtra SIR Row: Prakash Ambedkar Questions Election Commission, Targets Rahul Gandhi

Reported by Mubarak Ansari

Pune, 27th September 2026: Vanchit Bahujan Aghadi (VBA) president Prakash Ambedkar has questioned the Election Commission of India’s handling of the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls in Maharashtra, alleging that the exercise could lead to the deletion of eligible voters’ names. He has also criticised opposition parties for not jointly mobilising against the process and urged the Bombay High Court to hear a petition filed by his organisation.

Speaking at a press conference in Pune, Ambedkar said he had raised concerns about voter-list revisions at a press conference on April 3, warning that some names could be deleted while seven lakh new voters could be added.

Ambedkar said his organisation had written to S Chockalingam, Maharashtra’s Chief Electoral Officer, seeking clarification on whether a notification had been issued for the SIR exercise. He claimed that the organisation had not received a response.

“We have filed a petition in court regarding the SIR process. We are requesting the High Court to hear our petition,” Ambedkar said.

He also questioned the legal basis and scope of the revision, arguing that the exercise should be conducted only in specific constituencies or parts of constituencies, rather than being implemented indiscriminately. These remarks reflect his position on the process; the legal issues raised in the petition remain subject to judicial consideration.

Ambedkar accuses opposition parties of inaction

Ambedkar said his organisation had shared its letter with political parties but alleged that they had failed to act until the issue received media attention.

“After the issue was highlighted in The Indian Express, political parties started raising questions. We had already informed them, but they remained silent. Their current protests are political theatrics,” he alleged.

He questioned why opposition parties were not joining hands to launch a sustained agitation against the SIR exercise. Referring to Congress leader Rahul Gandhi, Ambedkar asked why he had not brought opposition parties together on the issue.

“Rahul Gandhi’s credibility is not enough to build public confidence on his own. If four more people join him, the movement could gain momentum,” he said.

Ambedkar also criticised the Nationalist Congress Party (NCP), referring to slogans raised in the past describing Sharad Pawar as the country’s leader. He questioned why the party was now silent on the issue.

Cites West Bengal, raises voter deletion concerns

Referring to West Bengal, Ambedkar claimed that around one crore voters had been removed from the electoral rolls and that approximately 94% of the names had subsequently returned to the lists.

He alleged that the SIR process could disproportionately affect Muslim voters. According to him, around 60% of the deleted names belonged to Muslims, while the remaining 40% belonged to non-Muslims. He further alleged that the exercise could affect voters based on whether they were perceived as likely to support particular political parties.

These figures and allegations were not independently established in the material provided for this report.

The Election Commission has described the SIR exercise as a process to update electoral rolls and identify entries involving absent, shifted, deceased or duplicate voters. In Maharashtra, the draft electoral roll was published on August 31, and voters can submit claims and objections until September 30, 2026.

Questions Election Commission’s neutrality

Ambedkar also questioned the Election Commission’s response to concerns raised about the revision and said the commission should respond directly rather than allowing political leaders to speak on its behalf.

Referring to Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis, he said, “The Election Commission has not appointed Devendra Fadnavis as its lawyer. The commission must respond to the questions raised and should not speak as if it were a wing of the BJP.”

He also raised concerns about the concentration of political power, alleging that the BJP and the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) were undermining democratic processes while using democratic institutions to remain in power.

Ambedkar said the issue went beyond individual political parties and concerned the country’s democratic system.

Calls for sustained agitation

Ambedkar urged citizens to participate in the proposed agitation, saying a sustained movement would be necessary to put pressure on the government.

“If the movement is sustained, it could bring down the Modi government within 15 days,” he claimed.

He also questioned whether the opposition had sufficient numbers in Parliament to initiate contempt proceedings, saying that even if the required support could be assembled, the outcome would remain uncertain.

Ambedkar appealed to citizens to take an active part in the agitation, arguing that public participation was necessary to protect democratic rights and ensure that eligible voters were not excluded from electoral rolls.