Leader of the Opposition in the Lok Sabha, Rahul Gandhi, is set to commence a debate on election reforms in the Lower House today, December 9.
The opposition has been advocating for a discussion on the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls since the onset of the monsoon session. The government, however, has proposed shifting the focus to a broader debate on election reforms, asserting that the Election Commission operates as an independent and autonomous constitutional entity.
The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) plans to present senior leaders Nishikant Dubey, PP Chaudhary, Abhijit Gangopadhyay, and Sanjay Jaiswal to participate in the two-day debate.
In addition to Gandhi, the Congress party intends to field a range of speakers, including KC Venugopal, Manish Tewari, Varsha Gaikwad, Mohammed Jawed, Ujjwal Raman Singh, Isa Khan, Ravi Mallu, Imran Masood, Gowaal Padavi, and Jothimani.
Earlier this month, at the start of the Winter Session of Parliament, several opposition leaders—including Congress President Mallikarjun Kharge and former party chiefs Sonia Gandhi and Rahul Gandhi—conducted protests both inside and outside Parliament. They displayed posters and chant slogans against the SIR initiative, carrying a prominent banner that read “Stop SIR–Stop Vote Chori.”
The Congress has alleged that the SIR drive, ostensibly designed to eliminate bogus voters, has been misused in Bihar, disproportionately targeting marginalized communities that typically support opposition parties.
Following a series of discussions between government representatives and opposition floor leaders, an agreement was reached to first conduct a discussion marking the 150th anniversary of the national song “Vande Mataram,” followed by a debate on the SIR issue. Prime Minister Narendra Modi initiated the debate on Vande Mataram in the Lok Sabha on Monday.
Parliamentary Affairs Minister Kiren Rijiju announced the schedule for the upcoming discussions via social media, stating, “During the All-Party Meeting chaired by the Hon’ble Speaker of Lok Sabha today, it has been decided to hold a discussion in Lok Sabha on the 150th Anniversary of National Song ‘Vande Mataram’ from 12 Noon on Monday, December 8, and a discussion on Election Reforms from 12 noon on Tuesday, December 9.”
