New Delhi, Dec 9 (UNI) Congress MP Manish Tiwari on Tuesday initiated a debate in the Lok Sabha on the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls, bringing into focus critical demands for election reforms amid the ongoing winter session.
Opening the debate after a week marked by vigorous Opposition protests, Tiwari highlighted the landmark electoral reform by former Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi, who lowered the voting age from 21 to 18, calling it the “biggest election reform” in India’s history.
Tiwari outlined three key demands: reforming the selection process of the Election Commission to include equal representation from both the ruling side and the Opposition with two members each, alongside the Chief Justice of India; scrapping the controversial SIR exercise; and banning direct cash transfers just before elections to ensure a level playing field.
He also challenged the use of Electronic Voting Machines (EVMs), advocating a return to traditional ballot voting, arguing that EVMs should be scrapped due to concerns over their reliability and transparency.
The winter session, which began on December 1, has seen significant disruptions as the Opposition pushed for a debate on SIR, alleging that the revision process has led to the disenfranchisement of marginalized communities. After intense negotiations, an all-party meeting chaired by Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla last week agreed to a comprehensive discussion on the issue.
As the debate unfolds, it underscores urgent calls for strengthening electoral integrity and transparency ahead of upcoming elections, with the nation closely watching these developments.
