NDA allies LJP(RV), RLM, TDP urge Election Commission to clarify SIR controversy

Three NDA partners - Chirag Paswan's LJP(RV), Upendra Kushwaha's RLM, and Chandrababu Naidu's TDP - Friday urged the Election Commission (EC) to explain its position on the political controversy surrounding the electoral process and implementation of the special intensive revision (SIR) of electoral rolls, saying this was necessary to dispel doubts among the public. Paswan, LJP(RV) chief and Union food processing industries minister, told reporters in Patna he did not intend, as part of govt, to "defend what is a constitutional body", but wanted EC to address concerns among people. "If questions are being raised about its conduct, it is the responsibility of EC, especially the chief election commissioner (Gyanesh Kumar), to present its side firmly," Paswan said. He added that he had nothing to do with what the opposition said, as their job was to level allegations and politicise the issue, but the common people needed to be taken into confidence. "If people start losing trust in the electoral system, that will not augur well for democracy and, therefore, I think the EC must come out with its clarification more forcefully. It need not respond to what Rahul Gandhi and his associates are saying. But it must dispel misgivings in the minds of the people," he said. RLM president Kushwaha echoed Paswan, writing in a social media post, "There is considerable confusion among the public regarding the controversy surrounding SIR. This issue needs to be addressed. The EC should immediately clarify the situation to dispel this confusion."

Chandrababu Naidu's Telugu Desam Party joined two other NDA allies - LJP(RV) and RLM - in urging the Election Commission to issue a clarification amid reports about internal differences and protests by the opposition. Reports in The Indian Express that two top election officials had objected multiple times to decisions made without their knowledge or consent have led to opposition demands that CEC Gyanesh Kumar be removed from office and SIR process halted. EC had said Wednesday that differing views among members were normal and that its final decisions had been unanimous. TDP parliamentary party neta Lavu Sri Krishna Devarayalu, while saying SIR had been a success in Andhra, where the party is in office, also sought clarification from the EC and greater transparency. "The EC is a constitutional institution entrusted with a crucial responsibility in our democracy.

Therefore, whenever questions are raised by anyone, providing appropriate clarification and maintaining transparency will only help strengthen public confidence in the institution," Devarayalu said. He added that in Andhra Pradesh, SIR was conducted transparently and voters were given adequate opportunities and time to raise concerns. Bihar BJP spokesperson Manoj Sharma said, "They (Chirag and Kushwaha) head their own parties and hold the right to talk about this issue." Another BJP functionary, who did not wish to be named, said the party's alliance with LJP(RV) and RLM was "limited only to Bihar and was not on the all-India level".