New Delhi: Ahead of the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls, opposition parties in Uttar Pradesh have raised serious concerns about the possible disenfranchisement of a large number of voters from marginalised communities. The Samajwadi Party (SP) has alleged caste-based appointments of officials conducting the SIR, while the Congress has questioned the timing of a major bureaucratic reshuffle in the state just after the process begins. The Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP), meanwhile, has instructed its cadres to actively participate in the voter verification exercise, set to commence on November 4.Civil society organisations and rights activists are also closely monitoring the exercise, which covers over 154 million voters spread across 162,486 polling stations in India’s most populous state. Many groups have offered voluntary assistance to marginalised voters, especially in rural areas where people often lack proper documentation — a factor that could lead to the deletion of their names from the electoral rolls.SP alleges caste bias in appointment of officialsThe state’s principal opposition party, the Samajwadi Party, moved swiftly after Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) Gyanesh Kumar announced the SIR on October 27 in New Delhi. SP’s state president Shyam Lal Pal submitted a memorandum to Uttar Pradesh Chief Electoral Officer (CEO) Navdeep Rinwa, alleging caste- and religion-based appointments of officials and demanding transparency in the revision process.“The officers deployed for the SIR have been appointed based on caste and religion, reflecting the mindset of the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) government,” Pal stated in the memorandum. He claimed that 1.62 lakh booth level officers (BLOs), additional district magistrates (elections), and electoral registration officers in all 403 assembly constituencies were selectively appointed, “compromising the neutrality and transparency” of the exercise.“Such biased appointments raise questions about the impartiality of the Election Commission,” Pal said.The SP also cited alleged irregularities during the 2024 by-elections in Sisamau (Kanpur Nagar) and Katehari (Ambedkar Nagar), claiming that BLOs were replaced on communal and caste grounds. “Despite our complaints on August 23 and September 23 last year, no action was taken. The Election Commission remained a silent spectator,” the SP memorandum stated.Congress questions timing bureaucratic reshuffle Following the SIR announcement, the Congress party criticised the timing of a major bureaucratic reshuffle, arguing that it undermined the credibility of the entire process.“There has been a large-scale bureaucratic reshuffle, including the transfer of district magistrates and top officials, which clearly violates the ECI’s directions,” said Anil Yadav, Congress’s organisational secretary. “We demand that these transfers be cancelled immediately and that the Election Commission ensure administrative stability before the commencement of SIR.”Also read: ‘Attempt to Make Bihar Workers Vote Here?’: Row as EC Includes Bihar SIR Extract Among ID ProofsThe Election Commission of India (ECI) had announced the SIR for 12 states and Union Territories on October 27, but just a day later, the Yogi Adityanath-led BJP government transferred 46 IAS officers, including 10 district magistrates.“Why is the ECI in such a hurry to conduct SIR in UP when the Panchayat elections are due next year?” asked Yadav. “The SIR might delay the panchayat polls since preparations can begin only after its completion,” he added.Akhilesh Yadav accuses ECI of biasIn a press conference on October 31 in Lucknow, SP president Akhilesh Yadav launched a sharp attack on the ECI, accusing it of “acting with bias” and ignoring the fair representation of marginalised groups.“The Election Commission has been disregarding the complaints of opposition parties since 2022,” Yadav said, alleging that the poll body was working under pressure from the ruling BJP.The SP has had several run-ins with the ECI over voter deletions. In August 2025, the party submitted affidavits claiming large-scale politically motivated deletions of names from the UP electoral rolls. The SP alleged that around 18,000 voters, mainly from backward and most backward classes, were removed during the 2022 Assembly elections and subsequent bypolls, allegedly to benefit the BJP.Though the ECI initially said that “no original affidavits” had reached its office, the SP later posted e-receipts of its submissions online. The commission eventually acknowledged receiving scanned affidavits from 3,919 individuals across 33 districts and 74 constituencies.SP deploys ‘PDA Praharis’ to monitor the processSP leader Rajpal Kashyap told The Wire that the party is now “fully prepared” to protect its voter base during SIR.“Following the announcement of SIR, we have deployed PDA Praharis (monitors) at the booth level across all districts to watch every change in the electoral roll,” Kashyap said. “Their job is to ensure transparency and protect the rights of our PDA (Pichda, Dalit, Alpsankhyak) supporters.”However, some political observers doubt the SP’s on-ground preparedness.“Akhilesh Yadav is articulate and document-focused but not mobilising enough on the streets like his father, late Mulayam Singh Yadav,” said veteran political analyst Naved Shiko, who has covered the SP for decades. “If he truly believes his voters are being disenfranchised, why hasn’t he organised any major protests so far?”Shiko added, “It’s surprising that despite having more than 100 MLAs and 37 MPs, the SP’s opposition to voter deletions remains confined to press conferences.”Congress demands transparency in caste dataCongress spokesperson Anshu Awasthi demanded that the ECI make the caste data of added and deleted voters public during the SIR.“The Election Commission must reveal which caste groups are being removed or added to the rolls,” Awasthi said in Lucknow. “The SIR has become a tool of ‘Vote Chori’ (vote theft). By omitting voters from specific communities, the Commission is undermining democratic rights and compromising its neutrality.”Awasthi alleged that the SIR was “being used under the influence of the BJP to manipulate the voter list ahead of major elections.”BSP stays cautious, urges workers to participateUnlike the SP and Congress, the Bahujan Samaj Party has taken a more cautious stance. BSP state president Vishwanath Pal said the party would work “in alignment” with the ECI and focus on ensuring no eligible voter is left out.“All our district-level workers have been instructed to participate actively in the SIR process and help voters verify their names,” Pal told The Wire. “We do not wish to politicise the process but to ensure everyone gets their rightful inclusion in the rolls.”Civil society raises alarm over “unconstitutional” exerciseCivil society organisations and rights activists are also gearing up to monitor the SIR closely.Nadeem Khan, national secretary of the Association for Protection of Civil Rights (APCR), called the exercise “unconstitutional and discriminatory.”“The entire SIR process is to be completed in just four months in a state with nearly 154 million registered voters. That’s logistically impossible without errors and exclusions,” Khan said. “This will inevitably lead to mass deletions, particularly in rural areas where many people lack documents such as passports or mark sheets etc.”He argued that the SIR was “not a mere revision but a preparation of entirely new lists,” which could result in the exclusion of rural, marginalised voters while adding new urban voters. “It is evident this could benefit a particular party that is strong in urban areas but weak in rural belts and thrives on communal polarisation,” Khan alleged.According to Khan, “This is not just an administrative exercise; it’s a deliberate strategy to disenfranchise Dalits, OBCs, Muslims, and the poor.” He added that the APCR will soon launch a helpline to assist voters whose names are deleted “unlawfully.”Legal aid and ground support from activistsLucknow-based social worker Anas Ahmad announced that he and his team of lawyers would provide legal assistance to voters affected by deletions.“We are closely monitoring the process and will start work once the draft electoral rolls are published on December 9,” Ahmad told The Wire. “If any name is deleted unlawfully, we will help voters regain their constitutional right through legal means.”Ahmad added that his team plans to hold voter awareness camps in rural areas and inform people about their right to file objections under the Representation of the People Act.BJP defends SIR as “necessary and constitutional”The ruling BJP has dismissed the opposition’s allegations as politically motivated.“The Election Commission is an independent constitutional body. The SIR is a legitimate and necessary exercise to ensure the accuracy of voter lists,” said Harish Chandra Srivastava, BJP’s spokesperson in Uttar Pradesh.Also read: 2027 UP Polls: SP Plans to Release Multiple Localised, Region-Specific Manifestos to Get Edge Over BJPHe added, “The opposition has no development agenda. They are politicising the SIR process because they fear losing elections. This revision is aimed at removing ineligible or duplicate entries, not targeting any community.”Srivastava said that the BJP “fully supports transparency in the voter list revision” and accused the opposition of “creating unnecessary hysteria.”Election commission’s standUttar Pradesh CEO Rinwa, who is overseeing the SIR process in Uttar Pradesh, has directed all district officials to conduct the exercise with “utmost transparency, accuracy, and inclusion.”Rinwa said, “BLOs will visit every household to verify voter information and distribute it from November 04. The aim is to ensure no eligible voter is left out and no ineligible name remains.”He also urged political parties to cooperate constructively. “The Election Commission welcomes the participation of all stakeholders, including political representatives to make the SIR process fair and inclusive,” Rinwa stated.