Bhubaneswar : Odisha Chief Minister Mohan Charan Majhi on Sunday launched a sharp attack on the Congress over its opposition to the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls, describing the exercise as transparent and technology-driven and accusing the opposition party of attempting to create confusion and anarchy after facing setbacks at the electoral level.
Majhi said the Election Commission’s revision exercise, being undertaken after a long gap, was aimed at ensuring cleaner and more accurate electoral rolls. He alleged that the Congress was deliberately creating a negative narrative around the process and attempting to undermine the credibility of the Election Commission of India (ECI), a constitutional institution entrusted with conducting elections.
‘13 crore names were not simply deleted’
Rejecting the opposition narrative that around 13 crore genuine voters had been removed from electoral rolls, Majhi said the figure being cited in the political debate included names falling into several categories.
According to the Chief Minister, around 2.8 crore entries related to deceased persons, three crore to people who were absent, 6.3 crore to electors who had shifted elsewhere and nearly one crore to duplicate registrations.
He argued that treating all such entries as genuine voters who had been arbitrarily disenfranchised was misleading.
“Calling these deletions simply a removal of voters is highly irresponsible,” Majhi said, contending that electoral-roll revision was necessary to identify and eliminate inaccurate or duplicate entries.
Political parties have booth-level role, says Majhi
Majhi stressed that representatives of political parties participate in the electoral-roll verification process through booth-level agents.
ଦୀର୍ଘ ୨୫ ବର୍ଷ ପରେ ଭାରତୀୟ ନିର୍ବାଚନ କମିଶନଙ୍କ ଦ୍ୱାରା ଦେଶବ୍ୟାପୀ ସ୍ୱଚ୍ଛ ତଥା ଡିଜିଟାଲ ପ୍ରଯୁକ୍ତିରେ ସ୍ପେସିଆଲ ଇନ୍ଟେନ୍ସିଭ୍ ରିଭିଜନ୍ (SIR) କାର୍ଯ୍ୟକାରୀ ହୋଇଛି। ୧୩ କୋଟି ଭୋଟ୍ କାଟି ଦିଆଯାଇଛି ବୋଲି କଂଗ୍ରେସ ଯେଉଁ ଅପପ୍ରଚାର ଚଳାଇଛି, ତାହା ସମ୍ପୂର୍ଣ୍ଣ ଭିତ୍ତିହୀନ ଓ ଗଣତନ୍ତ୍ରର ପରିପନ୍ଥୀ। ଏହାର ପ୍ରକୃତ ତଥ୍ୟ ଅନୁସାରେ… pic.twitter.com/iJDRndPUN6
— Mohan Charan Majhi (@MohanMOdisha) September 27, 2026
He said the system provides opportunities for verification as well as claims and objections from electors. According to him, the presence of political-party representatives and the statutory mechanism for claims and objections make the process subject to scrutiny.
The Election Commission has described SIR as a participatory process involving electors, political parties, Booth Level Officers and other stakeholders. The ECI’s voter-services portal also provides facilities for electors to search their names and submit documents against notices issued during the SIR process.
‘No Change in Form 6’
Responding to allegations that Form 6 had been altered, Majhi said the basic Form 6 application for inclusion of names had not been changed.
ଭୋଟର ତାଲିକାକୁ ନେଇ ବିରୋଧୀଙ୍କ ଭ୍ରମାତ୍ମକ ପ୍ରଚାରର କୌଣସି ବାସ୍ତବତା ନାହିଁ। ପ୍ରକୃତରେ ଫର୍ମ-୬ରେ କୌଣସି ପରିବର୍ତ୍ତନ କରାଯାଇନାହିଁ, ବରଂ ଭୋଟରଙ୍କ ସୁବିଧା ପାଇଁ ଏଥିରେ ଏକ ଘୋଷଣାନାମା ଫର୍ମ ସାମିଲ କରାଯାଇଛି, ଯାହାକୁ ମାନ୍ୟବର ସୁପ୍ରିମକୋର୍ଟ କାଏମ ରଖିଛନ୍ତି। ଭୋଟର ତାଲିକା ପରିଚାଳନା ପୂର୍ବପରି ରାଜ୍ୟର CEO ଓ EROଙ୍କ ଦ୍ୱାରା… pic.twitter.com/JfE8MR9Jcp
— Mohan Charan Majhi (@MohanMOdisha) September 27, 2026
He said an additional declaration mechanism had been incorporated to facilitate the process for voters.
The Election Commission’s voter-services portal currently provides Form 6 for new voter registration along with a separate declaration form under SIR 2026.
Majhi maintained that the arrangement was intended to facilitate voter registration rather than restrict it.
Database Digitised, Not Centralised
The Chief Minister also rejected allegations that the electoral database had been centralised in a manner that undermined the authority of state-level election officials.
He said electoral rolls continue to be administered through the Chief Electoral Officers and Electoral Registration Officers, whose statutory and procedural powers remain unchanged.
Rahul Gandhi and the Congress seem to have perfected a curious habit. When facts do not fit the narrative, they simply fabricate a new narrative. But this time, the mask is completely off.
The Election Commission’s own document explicitly states that the SIR order of 24 June… pic.twitter.com/7xzYmV0EZn
— Mohan Charan Majhi (@MohanMOdisha) September 26, 2026
According to Majhi, the major change has been the digitisation of the electoral-roll process through technological platforms, including ECI-NET and ERO-NET.
He argued that digitisation should not be confused with centralisation and said technology was being used to make the electoral-roll management system more efficient and traceable.
‘2.37 crore new voters added’
Majhi also sought to counter concerns about younger voters being excluded from the electoral process.
He claimed that since June 24, 2025, around 2.37 crore new voters had been added to the electoral rolls, including a large number of young and first-time electors.
He further claimed that the number of voters in the 18–28 age group stood at around 17.38 crore and said the process for eligible young citizens to register their names remained available throughout the year.
Majhi rejects ‘Unilateral CEC’ allegation
On allegations that the Chief Election Commissioner had taken unilateral decisions by ignoring the other Election Commissioners, Majhi termed the charge misleading and politically motivated.
He said decisions of the Commission were taken after deliberations and consultations and maintained that the process was based on consensus.
Drawing a parallel with the functioning of the Odisha Cabinet, Majhi said differences of view, questions and discussions were part of any democratic decision-making process and that a final decision could nevertheless be taken collectively.
He argued that internal discussion within a constitutional institution should not automatically be portrayed as institutional disagreement.
‘Congress creating an issue out of political frustration’
Turning directly towards the Congress, Majhi alleged that the party was attempting to create an issue around SIR because it was unable to build public support for its allegations.
He accused the opposition of creating a negative narrative and using the electoral-roll revision process as a political instrument.
Majhi said the campaign against SIR should not be allowed to undermine public confidence in the electoral system.
Cites Keralam Congress Leader’s Position
Majhi also referred to Congress leader Ramesh Chennithala while challenging what he described as the Congress’s allegedly contradictory positions on SIR.
The Chief Minister said that Chennithala had welcomed the revision in Kerala and had linked it to the removal of allegedly bogus entries from electoral rolls.
Majhi used the example to question the Congress’s criticism of SIR elsewhere, arguing that the political assessment of the same exercise should not change depending on electoral circumstances.
Majhi also hit out at criticism of the 2023 law governing the appointment of the Chief Election Commissioner and other Election Commissioners.
He argued that the present arrangement was more representative than the earlier system and pointed out that the selection committee includes the Prime Minister, the Leader of Opposition in the Lok Sabha and a Union Cabinet Minister nominated by the Prime Minister.
‘Constitutional Institutions Should Not Be Undermined’
Majhi broadened his criticism by alleging that the Congress was attacking multiple constitutional and public institutions, including the Election Commission and judiciary, whenever their decisions did not suit the party.
He referred to the Emergency as a historical example while accusing the Congress of ignoring its own record before questioning the functioning of constitutional institutions.
“The attempt to discredit constitutional institutions is not acceptable,” Majhi said, arguing that political disagreements should not translate into a campaign that erodes public confidence in democratic institutions.
‘Attempts to Create Anarchy Will Not Succeed’
In his concluding remarks, Majhi alleged that the opposition’s campaign regarding SIR aimed to confuse citizens and erode their faith in constitutional institutions.
He stated, “Looking at India’s political history, no majority government was formed between 1984 and 2014. The Congress party currently shows no prospect of achieving one. Therefore, out of extreme frustration, they are attempting to undermine and destroy the country’s constitutional system. This is highly condemnable, and I strongly condemn such attempts.”
He accused the Congress of portraying every institutional disagreement as a sign of democratic crisis, warning that such a campaign could have broad consequences for public confidence in the electoral system.
Majhi strongly condemned these what he described as deliberate attempts to foster distrust, asserting that efforts to destabilize the constitutional system through misinformation would fail.
