The Centre has agreed to hold a debate on electoral reforms next Tuesday (December 9), while a separate discussion on Vande Mataram has been scheduled for the previous day. The electoral reforms debate is expected to be dominated by the poll panel’s Special Intensive Revision (SIR) voter roll update, an issue several Opposition parties have been demanding be taken up in Parliament.
Parliamentary Affairs Minister Kiren Rijiju confirmed the schedule in a post on X on Tuesday (December 2). “During the All Party Meeting Chaired by Hon’ble Speaker Lok Sabha today, it has been decided to hold discussion in Lok Sabha on 150th Anniversary of National Song ‘Vande Mataram’ from 12 Noon on Monday 8th Dec and discussion on Election Reforms from 12 noon on Tuesday 9th Dec," he wrote.
Sources told News18 that the upcoming debate will focus on electoral reforms, though the Opposition is expected to raise concerns over the SIR process and the deaths of a Booth Level Officer (BLO). The government, however, is likely to highlight past issues such as booth capturing and denial of voting rights, and point out that during the recent Bihar elections, not a single poll was countermanded or required a repoll.
Sources further added that before the Business Advisory Committee (BAC) meeting, key Opposition leaders spoke to one another and agreed that the Vande Mataram debate should be taken up first.
The move follows repeated disruptions in Parliament earlier in the day, with Opposition MPs demanding an immediate debate on the SIR exercise. They have argued that the revision process could lead to voter deletions and undermine democratic participation.
Leader of the Opposition in the Rajya Sabha and Congress President Mallikarjun Kharge slammed the government for delaying the discussion. Describing the refusal as “unfortunate for the country and harmful for democracy," he accused the Centre of avoiding scrutiny over a sensitive electoral process.
Members of the INDIA bloc have been pushing for transparency in the SIR rollout, and earlier held a protest at Parliament’s Makar Dwar carrying placards that read “Stop SIR – Stop Vote Chori".
