Sambit Patra Defends SIR, Says Election Commission Is Working Democratically

New Delhi, September 23, 2026 BJP National Spokesperson Dr. Sambit Patra has defended the Election Commission of India’s functioning amid the political debate over the Special Intensive Revision (SIR). Rejecting allegations of dictatorial functioning, Patra said the process involved official deliberations and reflected what he described as the democratic functioning of constitutional institutions. “I would say that today all the opposition parties are falling into the trap. The trap where they said that the Election Commissioner and this government was a dictator government, rather I would say that this is pure democracy. Where deliberations are taking place. And the Election Commission has made one thing very clear in its very first clause, in its very first paragraph. After all official democratic deliberations, ultimately, at the end...” he said. Referring specifically to the Special Intensive Revision, Patra said the decision was taken unanimously by the three Election Commissioners. “What happened with SIR, the Special Intensive Revision, happened with unanimity, meaning all three Commissioners were unanimous on it. There was no difference of opinion, disagreement or divergence of views of any kind. They were all on the same page,” he said. Patra further rejected the contention that the Election Commission or other constitutional bodies are functioning under dictatorial control. “All in all, the story today is that neither the Election Commission of India nor any constitutional body in India is under a dictatorial rule, they are functioning in a democratic manner and of course upholding the democracy of this country. By working in a democratic manner, constitutional institutions are safeguarding democracy,” he said. His remarks focused on the decision-making process behind SIR and his assertion that the three Election Commissioners were unanimous on the exercise. The statement comes as the functioning of the Election Commission and the revision process remain part of the wider political debate.