DIMAPUR: The Nagaland unit of the Bharatiya Janata Party has sought concrete proof from the Congress and its leader Rahul Gandhi to substantiate assertions that the Election Commission of India (ECI), electronic voting machines (EVMs) or the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls were manipulated or mishandled.
Party head cites ECI clarification, Supreme Court position
Benjamin Yepthomi, president of BJP Nagaland, made the demand during a media interaction at his residence in Dimapur on Monday. He referred to an ECI joint statement issued on September 26 that, he said, had addressed several points raised in public debate about the SIR exercise and related processes.
Yepthomi pointed out that the ECI had recorded that the SIR order and its subsequent schedules were adopted unanimously by the full Commission. He also noted that the Supreme Court had, on May 27, upheld the SIR order — a fact the BJP leader used to underline the legality of the exercise.
“When the constitutional authority responsible for conducting elections has placed the facts on record, political debate should also be based on those facts,”
The BJP state president further referenced the ECI’s clarification that a communication to the Cabinet Secretary pertained to the functioning of an officer on deputation and was not tied to any policy decision regarding the SIR or the Commission’s information technology wing.
Challenge over allegations of manipulation
On allegations of EVM tampering and what some Congress leaders have described as "vote chori" (vote theft), Yepthomi urged the opposition to present material evidence. He emphasised that serious charges aimed at constitutional institutions require documented proof rather than assertions.
Yepthomi also highlighted comments by certain Congress leaders from Kerala, including Ramesh Chennithala and MLA Mathew Kuzhalnadan, that acknowledged benefits of the SIR exercise in removing proxy and ineligible names from the rolls. He questioned the apparent shift in the Congress's stance at the national level, asking why the party now opposed a revision process its leaders had previously said yielded positive results.
What BJP wants from Congress
- Documentary evidence from Rahul Gandhi and the Congress supporting claims against the ECI, EVMs and SIR;
- Clarification on the apparent contradiction between regional Congress leaders' remarks endorsing SIR results and the party's national-level criticism;
- Public debate constrained to facts placed on record by constitutional authorities.
Context and potential implications
The exchange comes amid an intensifying national debate over the electoral roll revision exercise and the integrity of electronic voting. The BJP state president’s demand for evidence seeks to shift the burden of proof to the Congress and to reinforce the official explanations issued by the ECI.
Legal and administrative decisions cited by Yepthomi — namely the unanimous internal approval for the SIR order by the ECI and the Supreme Court’s endorsement of the order on May 27 — form the core of the BJP’s argument that the exercise is being conducted within legal and constitutional norms.
| Point | Position cited by BJP |
|---|---|
| SIR order approval | Unanimous approval by the full ECI, according to the joint statement |
| Judicial view | Supreme Court upheld the SIR order on May 27 |
| Cabinet Secretary communication | Related to functioning of an officer on deputation; not a policy matter |
From a political angle, the BJP leader’s public challenge is likely to intensify scrutiny of both parties’ claims. If the Congress provides verifiable evidence, the debate could move into judicial or administrative adjudication; if it does not, the BJP will point to the ECI’s statements and the Supreme Court’s order to counter the allegations.
For voters and civil society groups in Nagaland, the episode underscores a broader national contest over electoral transparency and institutional trust. That contest is being pursued in media statements, courtrooms and public forums across several states.
Responses to expect
Given the posture adopted by the BJP state president, the immediate next steps to watch for are:
- Whether the Congress produces documentary or technical evidence to substantiate its public claims;
- Further clarifications or rebuttals from the ECI, if new allegations are advanced;
- Potential legal petitions seeking investigation or judicial review, if either side escalates the matter formally.
The BJP state president’s remarks frame the dispute as one that should be resolved on the basis of documents and official records, rather than assertion, and they place the onus on the Congress to demonstrate the veracity of its public allegations.
