Shimla Zila Parishad chairman says political allegations should be backed by official records and legal basis
Shimla, September 28, 2026: Shimla Zila Parishad chairman Bhupendra Singh Sisodia on Monday accused the Congress of creating “political confusion” over the Election Commission and the electoral process, and said the party should base its allegations on verified facts and official records. Addressing a press conference at Jashn Restaurant in Shimla, Sisodia referred to the Election Commission’s clarification issued on September 26 following media reports about objections reportedly raised by two Election Commissioners over certain processes related to voter-list revision. The Commission subsequently issued a clarification, while the Congress said its concerns remained.
Sisodia said questioning constitutional institutions was part of democratic discourse, but political parties should support serious allegations with facts, official records and a legal basis.
On the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls, Sisodia said the objective should be to update voter lists while ensuring that every eligible citizen retains the opportunity to exercise their franchise.He said the accuracy of electoral rolls and access to the electoral process were particularly important in a hill state such as Himachal Pradesh. He referred to voters in remote and rural areas, migrant workers, senior citizens and other eligible citizens who may require accessible mechanisms to participate in the electoral process.
Sisodia said if the Congress had concerns about SIR or any other electoral process, it should place concrete facts and its legal basis before the public rather than relying only on political statements.
Sisodia said a distinction should be maintained between internal administrative correspondence within the Election Commission and formal policy decisions. He said recent media reports and the Election Commission’s subsequent clarification should be considered together rather than drawing conclusions from one part of the record. The controversy has included reports of objections by two Election Commissioners, while the Commission has maintained that its decisions relating to the SIR were taken through the prescribed institutional process.
He said any remaining questions should be addressed through official records, legal procedures and transparency.
Sisodia also referred to Congress leader Rahul Gandhi’s comments on electronic voting machines in June 2024. Gandhi had described EVMs as a “black box” and raised concerns about transparency in the electoral process. Sisodia said political parties had the right to debate electoral reforms, but such discussions should be based on technical evidence, facts and established institutional procedures.
Sisodia also referred to the 2019 contempt proceedings involving Rahul Gandhi over remarks concerning the Rafale case. The Supreme Court record shows that Gandhi subsequently tendered an unconditional apology over the attribution of a statement to the court. The court later closed the contempt proceedings while cautioning him to be more careful in the future.Sisodia said the episode underscored the need for political statements concerning courts and constitutional institutions to be factually accurate.
Sisodia said people in Himachal Pradesh were also seeking answers on issues including employment, roads, healthcare, education, drinking water, rural development and the state’s financial position.He said the state government should place its report card before the public and outline the progress made in these sectors.
He said Zila Parishads and Panchayati Raj institutions were directly connected with people at the grassroots level, and called for greater attention to rural infrastructure, drinking water, healthcare facilities and the financial requirements of local bodies.Sisodia said democratic debate over constitutional institutions was necessary, but public discussion should remain anchored in verified facts and official records.
