AAP leader Malvinder Singh Kang on Sunday alleged that the BJP was hatching a conspiracy through the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls in Punjab and warned that his party would not allow a “Bihar and Bengal” situation to be repeated in the state ahead of the 2027 Assembly polls.
The Aam Aadmi Party MP from Anandpur Sahib urged the Election Commission of India (ECI) to ensure that the voter verification exercise is conducted in a transparent manner and alleged that the BJP would try to get genuine voters deleted from the rolls.
"My dearest Punjabis, wake up. Why is this Special Intensive Revision (SIR) being rammed through right before our 2027 polls? In Bihar, they deleted over 65 lakh genuine names. In Bengal, it was a shocking 91 lakh voters wiped off, that's nearly 12% of the rolls! And BJP walked away smiling. Now the same machine is targeting Punjab," Kang wrote on X.
He further questioned the polling schedule and alleged selective treatment of Punjab in the exercise.
"If Punjab and UP are voting around the same time, why shove UP into an earlier phase while we get Phase 3 with tighter deadlines? More time for some states,less for Punjab. This selective squeeze stinks of manipulation. We won't let Bihar and Bengal repeat here. I appeal to every party , @AAPPunjab @INCPunjab @Akali_Dal_ @bspindia whoever,bury your differences for the sake of Punjab. Flood the booths with agents, watch every BLO like hawks, and ensure not one single genuine Punjabi voter is erased. Our farmers, youth, and families deserve their voice intact. Fight we will. Punjab Zindabad! My letter to @ECISVEEP Also Included," he added.
In a video message, Kang alleged that the BJP uses different “tactics” in states where it does not receive public support and claimed elections in West Bengal were “looted” through misuse of the ECI.
"We need to remain alert and protect our democratic right. Democracy can be saved only if we have a voting right," he said.
The AAP MP also wrote to Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar seeking urgent intervention to prevent the possible disenfranchisement of Non-Resident Indian (NRI) voters from Punjab during the SIR process.
In the letter, Kang said the ongoing exercise risked “inadvertently silencing the voice of lakhs of genuine Non-Resident Indians (NRIs) from Punjab” and highlighted the economic and cultural significance of the Punjabi diaspora settled across countries such as Canada, the UK, the US, Australia, Italy and Gulf nations.
He said many NRIs have maintained valid voter registrations for decades, but strict timelines and mandatory physical verification could lead to wrongful deletion of their names from electoral rolls.
"There is a genuine fear that strict timelines and procedural requirements could lead to the wrongful deletion of their names, effectively disenfranchising loyal Indian citizens who have never abandoned their democratic rights or emotional ties to Punjab," he noted.
Kang proposed a five-point relief mechanism, including digital verification options for valid EPIC cardholders, flexible timelines across international time zones, use of Indian embassies and consulates for attestation, fast-track NRI grievance cells, and legal safeguards to ensure temporary absence from the country does not lead to deletion of voting rights.
The Election Commission had on Thursday issued a notification directing the conduct of the SIR exercise in Punjab. Under the process, Booth Level Officers (BLOs) will carry out door-to-door voter verification visits across the state from June 25 to July 24.
On Saturday, Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann had said his party would not allow even a single genuine vote to be deleted under the SIR process and warned against attempts to engineer “fake votes” in favour of any political party.
(With inputs from ANI, PTI)
