The Arunachal Pradesh unit of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) on Sunday rejected allegations raised by the Congress and other opposition parties over the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls, describing the claims as misleading and politically motivated.
BJP MLA and state spokesperson Topin Ete, who is also the party’s SIR co-in-charge, defended the Election Commission of India (ECI) and said the revision exercise had been carried out transparently and in accordance with the prescribed procedures.
Speaking at a press briefing in Itanagar, Ete said concerns raised by opposition parties over alleged discrepancies and manipulation in the electoral roll revision process had been addressed during the exercise.
He also pointed out that the revision process had formally concluded with the publication of the final electoral roll.
The BJP leader accused the opposition of attempting to create doubts among voters by continuing to raise allegations after the completion of the revision exercise. He said political parties should instead focus on issues directly affecting citizens and avoid making claims that could weaken public confidence in democratic institutions.
Ete reiterated the BJP’s support for the ECI and its role in maintaining the integrity of the electoral process. He said any allegation concerning the electoral roll revision should be supported by verifiable evidence rather than political assertions.
According to Ete, the opposition’s criticism was aimed at misleading the public rather than identifying any substantive shortcomings in the SIR exercise.
The BJP’s response comes amid an ongoing political debate over the revision of electoral rolls, with opposition parties in different parts of the country raising questions over the manner in which the exercise has been conducted.
Ete maintained that the electoral roll revision in Arunachal Pradesh followed the established procedures and said the completion and publication of the final roll marked the formal end of the exercise.
