23 Oppn Parties Write To CJI Over SIR; BJP Says 'Failed Attempt To Undermine Democracy'

Last Updated:July 03, 2026, 20:10 IST

BJP strongly criticised the Opposition's move, with party MP Sudhanshu Trivedi calling the letter a "failed attempt to undermine democracy."

Nearly two dozen Opposition parties have written to Chief Justice of India Justice Surya Kant over the Election Commission’s Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls, alleging that the exercise could undermine democracy and seeking the Supreme Court’s intervention.

Congress General Secretary Jairam Ramesh said the joint letter was signed by 23 political parties and one Independent MP. He said the decision to approach the Chief Justice was taken during an INDIA Janbandhan meeting held on June 8.

“Twenty-one political parties plus one Independent attended the INDIA Janbandhan meeting on June 8, 2026, where a decision was taken to address a joint letter to the Hon’ble Chief Justice of India on the SIR process of the Election Commission of India and other election-related issues. Accordingly, a joint letter now signed by 23 political parties plus one Independent has been sent to the Hon’ble Chief Justice of India today. The Opposition parties are firmly anchored in SURE — Solidarity, Unity and Resistance," Ramesh said in a post on X.

Trinamool Congress MP Derek O’Brien also confirmed the development, saying parties including the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) and the Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK) were among the signatories.

According to sources cited by ANI, extensive discussions among INDIA bloc leaders helped secure the support of both the DMK and AAP for the joint letter. The Opposition has raised concerns over the Election Commission’s voter revision exercise and other election-related issues.

BJP Calls Move ‘Failed Attempt To Undermine Democracy’

The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) strongly criticised the Opposition’s move, with party MP and national spokesperson Sudhanshu Trivedi calling the letter a “failed attempt to undermine democracy."

“The Bharatiya Janata Party strongly condemns the letter written to the Chief Justice of India and the failed attempt to undermine democracy by a few political parties. This entire matter has two facets: a legal one and a political one," Trivedi said.

He argued that the Special Intensive Revision had repeatedly been upheld by courts and described the exercise as a lawful and routine process undertaken periodically by the Election Commission.

“From a constitutional perspective, they failed to present a single factual issue before the court. This has raised suspicions in the public mind that their dream of capturing power in the states by relying on dubious voters is now crumbling," he said.

Trivedi also accused the Congress of taking contradictory positions on the issue. Referring to Congress leader Shashi Tharoor, he claimed Tharoor had earlier acknowledged that a similar voter revision exercise in Kerala benefited the Congress by removing fake voters.

He also cited Karnataka Deputy Chief Minister D K Shivakumar’s reported direction to Congress workers to actively participate in the SIR process, questioning why the party was now opposing the exercise at the national level.

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Saurabh VermaSenior Sub-editor

Saurabh Verma covers general, national and international day-to-day news for News18.com as a Chief Sub-editor. He keenly observes politics. You can follow him on Twitter --twitter.com/saurabhkverma19

News india 23 Oppn Parties Write To CJI Over SIR; BJP Says 'Failed Attempt To Undermine Democracy'

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