Sachin Pilot Attacks SIR Process in Goa, Calls It “Vote-Bandi”

Congress leader and AICC General Secretary Sachin Pilot has criticised the Election Commission’s Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls during his visit to Goa, alleging that the exercise has resulted in the deletion of a large number of voter names.

Speaking in Goa on October 2, Pilot compared the voter-roll revision controversy with the earlier demonetisation exercise, using the phrase “Note Bandi then, Vote Bandi now.” He alleged that voter deletions were affecting citizens’ ability to exercise their franchise and questioned the manner in which the SIR process had been conducted.

Pilot Raises Concerns Over Voter Deletions

Pilot claimed that around 1.4 lakh to 1.7 lakh names had been removed from electoral rolls in Goa and alleged that a much larger number of voters had been affected across the country. These figures are claims made by the Congress leader and have not been independently established as deliberate voter suppression.

The issue has become a major point of political debate in Goa, with Congress and other opposition leaders questioning whether eligible voters were properly protected during the electoral-roll revision process.

SIR Controversy in Goa

The controversy intensified after reports that 97 voters in Goa who had reportedly been found eligible at the ground level were left out of the final electoral roll. Opposition parties cited the case while raising questions about the functioning of the Election Commission’s electoral-roll systems.

The Goa Chief Electoral Officer, however, has stated that the SIR process was conducted transparently. Officials also said that 97 voters were subsequently included and that voters whose names remain missing can use Form 6 to seek enrolment.

Congress Continues Its Opposition to SIR

Pilot’s remarks come amid a broader Congress campaign against the SIR process. Goa Congress has organised protests and demanded greater accountability over electoral-roll revisions, while alleging irregularities in the deletion of voter names.

The Election Commission has continued to provide mechanisms for correcting and updating electoral rolls. The wider SIR controversy has also led to legal and political scrutiny in several parts of the country.

Goa Assembly Election 2027

The dispute over electoral-roll revisions comes ahead of the Goa Legislative Assembly Election 2027. With political parties preparing for the election, voter-list accuracy and the inclusion of eligible citizens have become important issues in Goa’s political discourse.

Pilot’s comments therefore place the SIR process and electoral-roll management at the centre of Congress’s political messaging in the state. The allegations regarding deliberate voter deletions remain contested, with the Election Commission and election officials maintaining procedures for verification, correction and enrolment.