Pune: VBA Chief Prakash Ambedkar Questions Election Commission’s Role In Maharashtra SIR

Pune resident Adv. Prakash Ambedkar, national president of the Vanchit Bahujan Aghadi (VBA), raised concerns on Sunday about the Election Commission's involvement in the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of Maharashtra's electoral rolls. Ambedkar highlighted that the revision process could potentially result in the deletion of approximately 2.90 crore names and the addition of nearly 60 lakh new voters.

He had previously disclosed these figures during a press conference in April 2026, asserting that developments during the SIR matched his predictions. However, the current electoral roll data does not substantiate the 2.90 crore voter deletions. The Maharashtra Chief Electoral Officer, S Chockalingam, clarified that the 2.07 crore figure mentioned during the SIR process referred to uncollectible enumeration forms, which were subsequently published after a claims and objections process.

Ambedkar demanded the publication of related notifications, correspondence, and legal provisions, but received no response. He argued that the VBA had written to the Maharashtra Chief Electoral Officer, seeking transparency, which remained unfulfilled. The VBA also filed a petition in the Bombay High Court, questioning the Election Commission's authority to conduct the SIR in its current form, citing Section 21(3) of the Representation of the People Act.

Ambedkar questioned the process for removing names from electoral rolls, asserting that only a competent authority under the Citizenship Act should determine citizenship. The Election Commission, however, maintains that the draft process includes safeguards for voters to correct or restore their entries. Ambedkar urged the Bombay High Court to expedite hearings of petitions challenging the Maharashtra SIR process, citing the Supreme Court's rulings in Bihar. He also called for unity among opposition parties to address electoral irregularities.