Santosh Kumar Suman defends Election Commission of India

Santosh Kumar Suman, National President of the Hindustani Awam Morcha (Secular) and Minister in the Bihar government, has defended the Election Commission of India (ECI) following recent clarifications regarding the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) process.

Suman stated that the ECI's clarification reveals the truth behind allegations made by the opposition. He noted that the Commission clarified that decisions regarding the SIR are institutional rather than individual, having been reached through the consensus of all three Election Commissioners. He emphasized that questioning a constitutional body by linking internal deliberations to final decisions is inappropriate.

The ECI recently held a full meeting in New Delhi to address reports of internal disagreements. The Commission issued a press note to clarify its internal workings, voter registration, and technical systems, specifically denying reports that certain commissioners had objected to SIR-related decisions. Suman added that purifying voter lists is a fundamental necessity for democracy to ensure the integrity of the electoral process.