“Should Dead People Be on Voter Rolls?”: Smriti Irani Challenges Opposition on SIR

In an exclusive conversation with India Today TV’s Gaurav Sawant, BJP national general secretary Smriti Irani rejects claims that 13 crore voters have been disenfranchised during the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls. Irani says the Election Commission’s exercise has flagged names under categories including deceased, shifted, duplicate and untraceable voters. She argues that booth-level agents from political parties, including the Opposition, participate in the verification process, and says eligible citizens can still seek inclusion in the electoral roll. The conversation examines the political row over SIR, the Election Commission’s verification process and Opposition concerns about voter exclusion.