Published Sep 25, 2026 | 10:49 PM ⚊ Updated Sep 25, 2026 | 10:49 PM
[LTR] Election Commissioner Sukhbir Singh Sandhu, Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar, Election Commissioner Vivek Joshi.
Synopsis: Rather than an exchange of allegations, the public needs clarity on what objections were recorded, what action was taken on them, and how transparently the system functioned, be it for adding, deleting or restoring names on electoral rolls. Steps are needed to give people confidence in these matters, YSRCP chief YS Jagan Mohan Reddy said in a X post.
Amid mounting criticism against the Election Commission and a clamour for the resignation of Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar, three NDA allies and the YSRCP, which had supported the Chief Election Commissioner and other Election Commissioners (Appointment, Conditions of Service and Term of Office) Act, 2023, sought a clarification from the central poll panel.
Taking to X on Friday, 25 September, YSRCP chief and former chief minister of Andhra Pradesh YS Jagan Mohan Reddy sought clarity on the objections raised by Election Commissioners Sukhbir Singh Sandhu and Vivek Joshi. He also demanded to know the actions, if any, that have been taken on their objections.
The row over the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls intensified after The Indian Express front-paged an investigative report alleging that Election Commissioners had, on multiple occasions, objected to processes involving voter registration, deletion and restoration of names, and the functioning of the Election Commission’s electoral-roll technology.
YS Jagan Mohan Reddy
“Rather than an exchange of allegations, the public needs clarity on what objections were recorded, what action was taken on them, and how transparently the system functioned, be it for adding, deleting or restoring names on electoral rolls. Steps are needed to give people confidence in these matters,” Reddy opined on X.
He reminded that a democracy could exist only when people have total confidence in constitutional institutions such as the Election Commission.
Calling for transparency, Reddy said it should not only prevail, but should also appear to have prevailed.
“The very bill [Chief Election Commissioner and other Election Commissioners (Appointment, Conditions of Service and Term of Office) Act, 2023], which had our support then, should be revisited now in the current background. The central government, the ruling party, should come forward and set the norm in place, dispelling this fear,” he said.
Related: SIR row hits the streets; protesters detained in Delhi
The YSRCP leader also called for an amendment to the Bill, “where the election commissioner is appointed by the three-member committee which has the Leader of Opposition (LoP), the Chief Justice of India (CJI) and the Prime Minister as members once again”.
“Students appointing the examiner is always prone to allegations, even though the examiner is thoroughly honest, and it is always better to replace the process with someone neutral. This move would definitely regain the esteem and confidence in the Election Commission,” he added.
Reddy then trained his guns on the TDP-led government in Andhra Pradesh. “During the SIR process in Andhra Pradesh, the party in power misused its authority. On many occasions, our appeals went unheard. In the local body election process, too, our objections to how divisions were redrawn were brushed aside. Such actions undoubtedly weaken public confidence in the electoral process. Transparency and accountability are the true measures of how any institution functions in a democracy, and safeguarding them is that institution’s primary duty,” he said.
TDP leader Lavu Sri Krishna Devarayalu said the Election Commission should provide appropriate clarification and maintain transparency to strengthen public confidence in the institution. He was speaking to Deccan Herald.
In Hajipur, Bihar, LJP (Ramvilas) leader and Union Minister Chirag Paswan said people losing confidence in the electoral system would not augur well for democracy. He said the Election Commission should issue a clear clarification to dispel people’s doubts.
Vikassheel Insaan Party (VIP) chief Mukesh Sahani accused the poll panel of “murdering democracy” and “working for the BJP”.
Democracy can stand only when people have complete confidence in constitutional institutions such as the Election Commission. National media reports that two Election Commissioners raised objections on several occasions to decisions, electoral rolls and the management of ECINet…
— YS Jagan Mohan Reddy (@ysjagan) September 25, 2026
(Edited by Majnu Babu).
