Amaravati, Oct 8 : Amid the nationwide political controversy over the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls, YSR Congress Party (YSRCP) president YS Jagan Mohan Reddy has called for changes to the process of appointing the Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) and other Election Commissioners.
Jagan has urged the Central Government to restore the earlier selection mechanism under which the Prime Minister, Leader of the Opposition in the Lok Sabha and Chief Justice of India (CJI) were part of a three-member committee for appointing Election Commissioners.
Jagan Seeks Amendment to 2023 Law
Under the 2023 law governing the appointment of Election Commissioners, the selection committee consists of the Prime Minister, a Union Cabinet Minister nominated by the Prime Minister and the Leader of the Opposition in the Lok Sabha.
The YSRCP chief has argued that the CJI should once again be included in the selection panel to improve transparency and strengthen public confidence in the Election Commission.
The earlier system followed the Supreme Court’s suggested framework, which included the Prime Minister, the CJI and the Leader of the Opposition.
SIR Voter List Revision Sparks Political Debate
Jagan’s proposal comes amid a growing political dispute over the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls.
Opposition parties and civil society groups have raised concerns over the large-scale deletion of names from draft electoral rolls during the SIR exercise. According to a report by The Indian Express, more than 13 crore names were removed from draft voter lists during the period covered by its report.
The Election Commission, however, has maintained that SIR is a legal and legitimate electoral process. It has said that the deleted names include voters who were found to be deceased, had migrated or appeared more than once in electoral records.
Election Commissioners Raise Objections
The issue has also triggered concerns within the Election Commission. According to The Indian Express, Election Commissioners Sukhbir Singh Sandhu and Vivek Joshi raised objections on several decisions between June 2025 and September 2026.
The developments have added to the wider debate over the independence and transparency of the Election Commission and the process through which its members are appointed.
INDIA Bloc Protests Against SIR
The controversy intensified on October 6, when leaders of the Congress-led INDIA bloc held a protest in Delhi demanding the withdrawal of SIR and the resignation of Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar.
Several opposition leaders were reportedly taken into police custody during the protest.
Against this backdrop, Jagan has argued that reforming the Election Commissioner appointment process could help restore public confidence in India’s electoral system.
Jagan Calls for Greater Transparency
The YSRCP president has called on the Centre to amend the 2023 Election Commissioners Appointment Act and bring back the CJI as a member of the selection committee.
According to Jagan, a three-member panel comprising the Prime Minister, CJI and Leader of the Opposition would provide greater balance and transparency in the appointment of Election Commissioners.
The demand comes at a time when the SIR exercise and the functioning of the Election Commission have become major points of political debate across the country.
