Congress leaders are raising serious questions about the Election Commission of India’s (ECI) handling of voter updates in Bihar and a notice to one of their top spokespersons. At a press meet in New Delhi on Wednesday, senior Congress MP Abhishek Manu Singhvi slammed the poll body for dragging its feet on key Supreme Court orders and what he called unfair actions.
Singhvi highlighted how the ECI suddenly kicked off the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) process in Bihar back in June—just four months before the state assembly elections. “They started this without any prior notice or proper guidance,” he said, pointing out that similar voter revisions got postponed in Maharashtra and Arunachal Pradesh in 2003 because polls were too close.
So, why push ahead with SIR in Bihar now? Singhvi demanded answers. He also called it a “big mystery” why the ECI removed Aadhaar cards from the list of valid proofs for voter identity during this revision. This move led to striking off names of around 65 lakh electors, and the ECI hasn’t explained why.
The Supreme Court stepped in on September 8, ordering the ECI to accept Aadhaar as a valid “12th document” for adding names to Bihar’s revised voters list. Singhvi questioned the ECI’s slow response: “If Aadhaar works for big things like ration cards, pensions, and income tax, why block it for voter lists in Bihar’s SIR process?”
He noted that the top court had pushed for Aadhaar inclusion at least three times before, but the ECI kept objecting and delaying. “The Supreme Court finally had to force their hand,” Singhvi claimed.
Adding fuel to the fire, Singhvi accused the Delhi election office of a “revengeful” move by issuing a show-cause notice to Congress media cell chief Pawan Khera and his wife Neelima Kota on September 2. He said the notice publicly shared Khera’s personal details, treating him as guilty without any investigation or chance to respond.
Singhvi explained that Khera had properly submitted forms in 2017 when he moved to Delhi’s Jangpura area. The ECI even shifted his voter details to the new constituency back then. “If records aren’t updated after eight years, that’s on the Election Commission, not him,” he argued. Why dig up this old issue now, especially when Khera is questioning the Bihar SIR process and other ECI decisions? Singhvi asked, hinting at political motives.
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