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Congress and Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) MLAs connected Saturday (February 28, 2026) raised concerns successful the Gujarat Assembly implicit alleged irregularities successful the peculiar intensive revision (SIR) of electoral rolls, including deletion of voters’ names.
During a treatment successful the State Assembly connected an appropriation Bill authorising expenditure incurred successful this fiscal for elector database revision, the Opposition flagged complaints astir ample numbers of Form 7 applications, meant for deletion of names from elector lists, being filed crossed constituencies without the cognition of voters concerned.
The statement began aft the BJP authorities sought transition of an appropriation Bill to regularise expenditure incurred connected SIR-related enactment successful the State.
While Speaker Shankar Chaudhary had already allowed 2 Congress MLAs and 1 AAP legislator to talk connected the Bill, Gujarat Forest and Environment Minister Arjun Modhwadia raised a constituent of bid contending that matters pertaining to Election Commission of India (EC) cannot beryllium discussed successful the State Assembly.
Citing Article 324 of the Constitution, helium said the EC is an autonomous law assemblage liable for conducting Lok Sabha and Vidhan Sabha elections and that the State authorities has nary authorization to interfere successful its processes, including elector database mentation oregon revision.
He argued that portion authorities machinery performs election-related tasks, it does truthful strictly nether the power of ECI arsenic per Representation of the People Act.
Issues concerning elector database revisions, EVMs, VVPATs and related matters truthful autumn extracurricular the jurisdiction of the authorities government, Mr. Modhwadia said portion urging the Assembly Speaker to disallow treatment connected them.
BJP MLA and erstwhile Speaker Ramanlal Vora supported the constituent of order, reiterating that though employees beryllium to the State, their predetermination duties are carried retired nether nonstop power of EC and, hence, the Assembly was not the due forum to question those processes.
Congress and AAP members, however, opposed the determination to artifact the discussion.
Congress MLA Kirit Patel, however, said portion the Legislative Assembly cannot question autarkic decisions of EC oregon matters pending earlier courts, administrative flaws wherever the State authorities bears work indispensable beryllium unfastened to debate.
Congress MLA Amit Chavda said extortion of the law close to ballot was paramount successful a democracy.
“Since the ground-level machinery from booth-level officers to predetermination officials belongs to the authorities government, this House should analyse errors successful the mentation of electoral rolls and different administrative lapses,” helium said.
Congress MLA Shailesh Parmar claimed since funds from the State treasury were being utilized for SIR, the Assembly had the close to statement however the wealth was being spent.
After proceeding arguments from some sides, the Speaker, delivering his ruling, said helium had reviewed past records and recovered that akin discussions connected supplementary demands had been permitted by erstwhile Speakers.
Under Article 324, the ECI is autonomous and the Assembly cannot sermon its statutory and law duties, including SIR exercise, helium said successful his ruling.
However, Mr. Chaudhary clarified that members were permitted to sermon the supplementary demands and administrative lapses of the authorities machinery progressive successful implementing the exercise.
He cautioned that determination was a “thin line” betwixt criticising State medication and attacking the autonomy of ECI and warned members not to transverse it.
After being allowed to speak, AAP MLA Chaitar Vasava alleged determination was a abrupt influx of thousands of Form 7 applications astir January 17 and 18 crossed constituencies to delete names of registered voters from the rolls.
He claimed respective specified applications were filed without supporting documents and individuals whose names appeared connected the forms denied submitting them connected being contacted by his team.
Congress MLA Jignesh Mevani invoked the Constitution drafted by Babasaheb Ambedkar to asseverate that voting is simply a cardinal right.
“As portion of a pre-planned strategy, determination was an effort to region names of astir 14 lakh radical belonging to a peculiar assemblage successful Gujarat. Such acts volition destruct societal harmony successful Gujarat. The State authorities indispensable place those down these fraudulent Form 7s, record FIRs and nonstop them to jail,” said Mr. Mevani.
He claimed De-notified Tribes (DNT) and nomadic communities, who deficiency imperishable addresses, whitethorn suffer voting rights for the deficiency of adjacent 1 document.
Congress MLA Amrutji Thakor claimed predetermination authorities were not accepting Aadhaar oregon adjacent EPIC cards arsenic valid documents to participate names successful the revised electoral rolls.
On the contented of deletion of names done Form 7, Mr. Thakor stated that citizens person a antiauthoritarian close to cognize who is “actively trying to snatch their voting rights by secretly filing these forms against them”.
In his response, Finance Minister Kanubhai Desai said Form 7 is the prescribed process for sanction deletion but nary sanction is removed simply upon its submission. Booth Level Officers behaviour mandatory tract verification and, if required, hearings are organised earlier immoderate last decision, helium added.
Following a lengthy debate, the Gujarat (Supplementary) Appropriation Bill, 2026, was passed by a bulk dependable vote. The Congress and AAP did not widen their enactment to the legislation.
