Congress Raises Concerns Over Special Intensive Review Process in Delhi

The Delhi Pradesh Congress Committee has raised alarms about the Special Intensive Review process, questioning the legal implications of voter verification and the reliance on outdated voter lists. Party president Devendra Yadav emphasized the need for clarity on verification responsibilities and urged the electoral commission to provide updated constituency details. With significant changes in constituency boundaries since 2002, the Congress party is advocating for a more transparent and practical approach to voter identification. This situation highlights the complexities and challenges faced in the electoral process, prompting calls for immediate action from the authorities.

By Narendra Chaudhary Apr 2, 2026, 10:51 IST

Concerns from the Delhi Pradesh Congress Committee

The Delhi Pradesh Congress Committee (DPCC) has expressed significant concerns regarding the ongoing Special Intensive Review (SIR) process in the national capital. In a formal letter addressed to the Chief Electoral Officer (CEO) on Wednesday, the Congress party sought immediate clarification on the 'legal and procedural risks' associated with verifying voting details.

In the correspondence to the CEO of Delhi, the party highlighted issues related to verification responsibilities, transparency, and the use of previous voter lists as a reference.

Devendra Yadav, the president of Congress's Delhi unit, stated that under the current system, booth-level agents (BLA) can collect 50 filled counting forms per booth daily and submit them along with affidavits certifying their accuracy, which he deemed neither practical nor legally sound.

Yadav emphasized in the letter, 'The verification of voter application details is a statutory duty of electoral officials such as booth-level officers, assistant voter registration officers, and voter registration officers.'

He further noted that expecting polling agents representing political parties to certify such details could place undue responsibility on the parties and lead to unnecessary disputes.

The party also questioned the use of the 2002 voter list as a foundational document, pointing out that there have been significant changes in constituency boundaries since the delimitation process.

Yadav remarked, 'Without proper area-wise mapping between the 2002 and current constituencies, accurately locating voters' names will be extremely challenging.'

He urged the commission to provide constituency-wise details of the 2002 voter lists in both printed and digital formats. Additionally, Congress requested the supply of photo voter lists once finalized to assist in voter identification.