I.N.D.I.A. bloc parties likely to meet on Sept 30 over SIR, EC issues

Mangalore Today News Network

New Delhi, Sep 26, 2026: Parties of the opposition I.N.D.I.A. bloc are likely to meet in New Delhi on September 30 to discuss concerns over the Election Commission and the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls, along with other issues, sources said.

The proposed meeting comes amid increased coordination among opposition parties over the Election Commission following reports of differences within the poll panel regarding aspects of the SIR exercise.

The parties have been in touch with one another and are discussing a coordinated response to the developments, sources said.

The CPI(M), CPI and CPI(ML)-Liberation have demanded the removal of Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar and an immediate halt to the SIR exercise. The Congress has also intensified its criticism of Kumar.

The Congress Working Committee is scheduled to meet on September 29 to discuss the party’s strategy on the issue.

The developments have also brought West Bengal’s political rivals, the Mamata Banerjee-led Trinamool Congress (TMC) and the CPI(M), together on the Election Commission issue.

CPI(M) general secretary M A Baby wrote to I.N.D.I.A. bloc and other opposition leaders seeking a meeting over the developments. He subsequently spoke to West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee, who agreed that the situation required coordinated action.

Opposition parties are also working on a fresh removal notice against CEC Kumar, which is likely to be submitted in both Houses of Parliament after being vetted by legal experts. This would be the third such attempt by the opposition.

The latest mobilisation follows a report by The Indian Express that Election Commissioners Sukhbir Singh Sandhu and Vivek Joshi had raised objections on several occasions over decisions and orders related to the SIR exercise.

The Election Commission has said that differing views and observations are a normal part of institutional deliberations. It has also maintained that its orders have full legal sanction and follow statutory procedures.

Earlier, 23 political parties and an Independent MP jointly approached the Chief Justice of India over the SIR process and other election-related issues, highlighting the broader opposition coordination on the matter.