23 opposition parties write to CJI, allege electoral roll manipulation
What's the story
Twenty-three opposition parties, including the Congress, Trinamool Congress (TMC), Samajwadi Party and others, have written a joint letter to the Chief Justice of India, Surya Kant. The letter raises concerns over the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) process of electoral rolls by the Election Commission of India (ECI). It alleges that ECI has misused SIR to benefit the ruling party.
Allegations outlined
Letter highlights instances of SIR misuse
The four-page letter highlights specific instances from different states where SIR was allegedly misused. It also alleges other election-related malpractices with examples from different states. Congress MP Jairam Ramesh said that the decision to write to the Chief Justice was taken during a meeting of 21 political parties and one Independent member on June 8.
Unity pledge
AAP, DMK later joined the initiative
Ramesh said, "The Opposition parties are firmly anchored in SURE, Solidarity, Unity and REsistance." The letter was signed by 23 political parties and one Independent MP. Notably, the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) and Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK), which were not part of the initial meeting on June 8, later joined this initiative.
Political agenda
Meeting focused on political issues
The June 8 meeting of the INDIA bloc had focused on political issues, with Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge calling for greater unity among opposition parties. He had urged them to continue coordinated efforts on electoral processes, inflation, unemployment, and institutional misuse. According to ANI, Ramesh had described the discussions as "good" and said that the INDIA bloc had a constructive agenda covering the economy, Centre-state relations, protection of the Constitution, and foreign policy.