Union Minister Rijiju challenges Congress to answer ‘basic questions’ amid row over SIR, CEC

Union Minister Kiren Rijiju. File

Union Minister Kiren Rijiju on Saturday (October 31, 2026) challenged the Congress to explain its electoral defeats while questioning its criticism of the Election Commission and opposition to the special intensive revision (SIR) of electoral rolls, accusing the party of trying to undermine the Constitution and democracy.

In a post on X, Mr. Rijiju posed five questions to the opposition party, including why it was reduced to just 44 seats in the 2014 Lok Sabha elections despite election commissioners having been appointed by its own government. "How did Congress get only 44 MPs in 2014 Lok Sabha election when Election Commissioners were appointed by their Govt?" he asked.

I challenge Congress party to answer to the basic questions: 1. How did congress get only 44 MPs in 2014 Lok Sabha election when Election Commissioners were appointed by their Govt? 2. When Gyanesh Kumar was not CEC in 2024, how did Congress face a hatric defeat? 3. Will present congress CMs resign & also apologize for forming the Govts during 2014 to 2026? 4. Should all the names in voter lists who are illegal immigrants, dead, shifted or duplicate be removed from voter list or not? 5. Were SIRs carried out in 1952-56, 1958-61, 1965-66, 1983-84, 1987-88, 1993, 1995, and 2002-2004 illegal? One family party with outside forces is trying to destroy the Constitution & Indian Democracy.

Referring to the 2024 Lok Sabha elections, Mr. Rijiju questioned how the Congress suffered a third consecutive defeat when Gyanesh Kumar, the incumbent Chief Election Commissioner, was not heading the poll panel.

Mr. Kumar was an Election Commissioner during the 2024 Lok Sabha elections, having assumed office on March 15 that year. He became Chief Election Commissioner on February 19, 2025.

Mr. Rijiju also asked whether Congress chief ministers currently in office would resign and apologise for forming governments following elections held between 2014 and 2026.

Defending the revision of electoral rolls, Mr. Rijiju argued for the removal of names of illegal immigrants, deceased voters, those who had shifted residence and duplicate entries, and questioned whether the Congress opposed such deletions.

He also invoked previous intensive revisions of electoral rolls, asking whether similar exercises conducted in 1952-56, 1958-61, 1965-66, 1983-84, 1987-88, 1993, 1995 and 2002-2004 were illegal.

"One family party with outside forces is trying to destroy the Constitution & Indian Democracy," the Minister alleged.

His remarks come amid an ongoing legal and political confrontation over the SIR exercise and allegations concerning the functioning of the Election Commission.

In an affidavit filed before the Supreme Court on October 26, the Election Commission rejected allegations of unilateral decision-making by the Chief Election Commissioner, asserting that orders concerning SIR were approved unanimously by the three-member poll panel.