Punjab

BJP has hit back hard at AAP over its protest outside the Election Commission office in New Delhi regarding the Special Intiative Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls in Punjab.

Party leaders said on Saturday that Punjab is handling the SIR process itself through the state government. They called AAP's protest pointless and said it only tries to create confusion among voters.

Why BJP Says AAP Protest Is Misdirected

BJP's statement came after AAP workers held a protest outside the Election Commission headquarters in the national capital. They objected to how voter list revision is being handled in Punjab.

I personally find this back-and-forth between the two parties quite telling. Voters deserve clarity on how their electoral rolls are being updated. SIR is a very important exercise, and playing politics with it only makes things worse.

BJP also said the state is in charge of this revision. So AAP should take its concerns to Punjab government, not stage protests at the Election Commission's doorstep.

Ludhiana saw heated protests on October 8 after INDIA Bloc parties called for the immediate removal of Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar. Demonstrations were held outside the Deputy Commissioner's Office. Effigies of Gyanesh Kumar, Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Home Minister Amit Shah were burned.

13 Crore Votes Allegedly Deleted

Pawan Dewan, former District Congress Committee President of Ludhiana (Urban), led the charge. He claimed that nearly 13 crore voter names have been wrongly deleted nationwide through the Special Intensive Revision process. According to Dewan, this amounts to a betrayal of citizens' democratic rights.

Dewan further alleged that the Election Commission is working with the Modi government to influence Assembly elections in West Bengal, Bihar and Maharashtra.

Written Dissent by Two Election Commissioners

Protest leaders cited a September 23 report in The Indian Express. It showed that two Election Commissioners had recorded written objections on at least 14 occasions. These covered voter registration, deletion and restoration of names, and the SIR process itself. Several key decisions were allegedly taken without their consent.

What Comes Next

Leaders made it clear this is just the start. A joint meeting of INDIA Bloc parties and allied organisations will be held in Ludhiana soon. The goal is to plan the next phase. Bigger protests are on the cards.

The protest was organised jointly by Congress, CPI, CPI(M), CPI(ML) Liberation with support from RMPI. Several party leaders addressed the gathering, including Chamkaur Singh Barmi, Balbir Singh, B.S. Sahi, J.P. Narayan and Jagdish Chand. CPI leader M.S. Bhatia conducted the stage proceedings.

Chandigarh, 5 October 2026: Punjab Cabinet, chaired by Chief Minister Bhagwant Singh Mann, cleared several decisions on Monday. Finance Minister Harpal Singh Cheema shared the details after the meeting.

Election work gets support. Cabinet approved creating new posts in the office of Chief Electoral Officer, Punjab. The government says this will help speed up election-related work and official functioning. This comes at a time when the Special Intensive Revision, or SIR, of the 2026 electoral rolls is already running in the state. For voters, this means smoother handling of roll revisions and related processes.

Nursing rules updated. Cabinet also approved changes to the Punjab Nursing Education Service Rules, 2016. Cheema explained that after the 2021 restructuring of the nursing education department, new service rules were not framed. About 1,467 nursing staff were recruited during this period. Employees had been facing real difficulties over promotions and service matters. Now, with the amended rules in place, things should be clearer. Punjab Nurses Registration Council also handles nursing education, registration and professional standards work.

Non-teaching staff regularised. Another decision makes non-teaching employees working under PITS permanent by bringing their services under the society. This gives job stability to employees who have served for a long time. Computer teachers had already been brought under the society earlier. The move now covers the remaining non-teaching employees too.

Tourism push for Pathankot. Cabinet also discussed developing Punjab's tourism sector, with focus on Pathankot and its surrounding areas. Sitting close to Punjab, Himachal Pradesh and Jammu and Kashmir, Pathankot is a busy travel hub with a steady flow of tourists heading to hill destinations. The government feels that highlighting natural and historical attractions here can create jobs and lift the local economy.

Cheema said the decisions aim to strengthen administrative setups, fix employee-related problems and push development across different areas in the state.

SIR (Special Intensive Revision) of electoral rolls in Ludhiana District is almost complete. 97.97 percent of the work is done. District Election Officer Himanshu Jain confirmed the progress on Wednesday.

Completed Constituencies

Six Assembly Constituencies have finished the SIR 2026 exercise fully:

• 57-Khanna
• 58-Samrala
• 59-Sahnewal
• 67-Payal
• 68-Dakha
• 69-Raikot

Now comes the tricky part. BLOs will go door to door for cases where notices were sent out but hearings or document submission are still pending. Instead of calling electors to ERO offices, officials will collect the required documents directly from them. This saves voters from making repeated office visits.

Camps will run over the coming weekend in constituencies where work is still pending. Help Desks have also been set up at the DEO office and ERO offices across the district for any queries or concerns.

Himanshu Jain urged all electors to cooperate with BLOs and election officials by providing documents and information on time so the process wraps up smoothly.

Congress workers protested in Patiala on Monday demanding action against alleged irregularities in voter list revision work done across the country.

Party leaders handed a memorandum to President Droupadi Murmu asking her to step in. They want Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar removed from his post. Their argument is that voters whose names were struck from the rolls were never given a fair chance to defend their right to vote.

Local MP Dharamvir Gandhi claimed that 13.8 crore names, roughly 15 per cent of India's electorate, have been deleted during the first three phases of Special Intensive Revision (SIR). Congress says these deletions cover 31 states and union territories.

Leaders Demand Investigation Into Election Commission

Former minister Sadhu Singh Dharamsot and former MLA Hardyal Singh Kamboj went further. They called for an FIR against the CEC and a full investigation into how Election Commission is being run.

Punjab Congress president Amarinder Singh Raja Warring wants Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar removed. He has also called for an FIR against Kumar and his associates, along with immediate arrest, over alleged manipulation of the electoral process.

Warring announced a march to Election Commission office in Sector 17, Chandigarh, led by MLA Sachin Pilot. Party leadership held a Zoom meeting to discuss next steps.

"The sanctity of the vote and the Constitution cannot be compromised. Those responsible must be held accountable," Warring said.

Samajwadi Party chief Akhilesh Yadav also asked the CEC to resign. He alleged that whoever caused the disagreements within Election Commission should step down.

What triggered the controversy

The issue came to light after an investigation found that Election Commissioners Sukhbir Singh Sandhu and Vivek Joshi had raised 14 procedural changes over 10 months. These included centralising the ERONET electoral roll database, changes to Form 6 for new voter registration, and decisions on voter list deletions during the Special Intensive Revision exercise.

Election Commission has said that all final decisions, including those on the SIR exercise, were taken unanimously and carry full legal sanction.

Former Punjab Deputy Chief Minister and Gurdaspur MP Sukhjinder Singh Randhawa raised questions about how independent the Election Commission really is. He feels recent events with the Chief Election Commissioner make people doubt the organization. Democracy needs full trust.

Randhawa said the commission must be trusted for democracy to work. He pointed to current Supreme Court cases and a pending motion from 73 Opposition MPs as signs of a big problem. He believes the Chief Election Commissioner must be fair to earn back public trust.

Election Commission rules and oversight

The discussion also covers changes to the selection committee, which used to include the Chief Justice of India. The Supreme Court is reviewing this, and the country is waiting to see how the independence of this group will be protected. People living in Batala, Qadian, and Shri Hargobindpur should keep up with news on election processes.

Divisional Commissioner Vinay Bublani is looking into the Special Intensive Revision of voter lists in Patiala. As the Roll Observer, he is checking forms to make sure the voter list is correct and clean. Every eligible person should be registered, especially young people turning 18 by October 1, 2026.

Bublani is doing more than just checking files. He is visiting homes, calling voters, and meeting Booth Level Officers to confirm details. This work includes new registrations, removals, and address changes in Patiala Rural, Patiala Urban, Nabha, Rajpura, Sanaur, and Ghanaur. He aims to ensure only eligible people are on the list and no valid voter is missed.

Voter list verification process

Election Commission is watching areas where voter additions or removals are higher than the district average. This careful checking is very important for fair and clear elections in the region.

Bhagwant Mann government in Punjab has entered the final six months of its term. This time is important as the state prepares for assembly elections. Political observers expect more activity as leaders decide on their future plans.

Administration faces some problems. Employees are asking for the old pension scheme and payment of arrears. Also, farmers have concerns about power supply and crop procurement. Balancing these needs with a tight budget is a main challenge for the government.

Government performance and challenges

Even with these pressures, the government says it has met main 2022 poll promises. These include providing 300 units of free electricity, creating thousands of jobs, and improving public healthcare and education. Officials now have the extra task of managing scrutiny from central agencies. This might affect how fast they make decisions in the coming months.

Congress in Punjab has dealt with internal fighting for a long time. Public disagreements between leaders such as Charanjit Channi and Raja Warring have been in the news for months. This often makes people forget about the party's work opposing the Aam Aadmi Party government. Now, attention is on whether Sachin Pilot can help fix these deep divisions.

Upcoming election challenges

People are watching to see if the current truce between rival groups will actually turn into real unity. With assembly elections coming up in 2027, the party has a big test ahead. It needs to rebuild its reputation and show voters it can work together.

BJP leader Satish Poonia has criticized AAP government in Punjab. He says drug use is hurting young people there and causing law and order issues. He also mentions that corruption is common under the current government.

Punjab concerns and election updates

Poonia said Punjab was once a source of national pride. He added that his party is running public information campaigns to help stop the drug problem. He also said he feels sure about how BJP performed in recent Rajasthan municipal elections. Results for those are coming on September 14.

Many residents in Punjab are having problems updating their names or signing up for voter lists. The second part of the special update period just ended, and many people are unhappy. Married women and those dealing with family disputes are finding it especially hard to get added.

Election officials have stated that Aadhaar cards do not count as proof of citizenship or home address. This rule has caused problems for many, including people who moved from Uttar Pradesh, Bihar, and Uttarakhand. Women who changed their names after marriage often do not have the documents needed to satisfy local election workers. Some voters also shared that their names were removed from their parents' home list while they were not there during the check-up visits.

Solving voter registration issues

Election supervisors are now managing these cases through personal meetings. If you have issues with your voter registration in places like Raikot, Jagraon, or Phagwara, please contact your local election office. They can tell you exactly which documents are required for your verification.