INDIA bloc taking contradictory positions on SIR, says BJP

The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) on Saturday (January 10, 2026) accused the Indian National Developmental, Inclusive Alliance (INDIA) of taking contradictory positions and making confusing arguments regarding the special intensive revision (SIR) of electoral rolls, currently underway in 12 States and Union Territories.

At a press briefing on Saturday, BJP MP and national spokesperson Sudhanshu Trivedi said that the Opposition parties seemed unsure about their own position, with their leaders changing their claims about the impact of the exercise undertaken by the Election Commission (EC). He said that the matter had become a “tricky question” for the alliance, as its constituents were unable to maintain a consistent narrative.

Mr. Trivedi pointed to comments by Samajwadi Party chief Akhilesh Yadav, who had earlier alleged that the BJP’s votes were being reduced through the exercise. The BJP leader said the Congress had claimed that SIR was being used to reduce Opposition votes, but now it was being suggested that the process was aimed at adding votes.

He said such shifts in stance reflected an internal confusion within the alliance on the issue. He also referred to Mr. Yadav’s earlier assertion that at the booth level, the SP workers had ensured that its votes were protected, and the subsequent allegation from within the bloc that the BJP was benefiting from the process.

Questioning the credibility of the claims, Mr. Trivedi asked the Opposition to clearly explain whose votes were allegedly being removed and whose were being added. He asserted that SIR is a constitutional and procedural exercise, stating that it neither disadvantages nor benefits any political party.