Hyderabad

BRS Working President KT Rama Rao (KTR) on Wednesday urged the Supreme Court to take suo motu cognisance of the objections raised in an Indian Express report that two Election Commissioners had raised several doubts over the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) process and conduct a detailed inquiry into the matter.

A report by the Indian Express that had said that decisions taken on the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) process were objected to by two of the three Election Commissioners.

According to the report, "Commissioners Sukhbir Singh Sandhu and Vivek Joshi objected at least 14 times over the last 10 months to decisions taken and orders issued without their knowledge."

Speaking to ANI, KTR said the objections raised by the two Election Commissioners had raised several questions and doubts surrounding the SIR process. He said the developments had also led to concerns about the functioning of the Election Commission and called for the matter to be examined at the highest judicial level.

KTR said, "...There are several questions and doubts. Now, there is a severe crisis of confidence in the Election Commission of India's functioning, and this really raises a lot of doubts. What I would certainly appeal is that, because the EC is a constitutional body, we cannot believe any other agency to investigate other than the Supreme Court of India."

He further added, "The Supreme Court needs to take cognisance of what former Election Commissioners were saying, and they need to launch a suo motu inquiry into the matter. And hopefully some answers will come out; the truth will come out."

KTR said there was now a “serious crisis of confidence” in the functioning of the Election Commission. He maintained that the concerns raised in connection with the SIR process could not be ignored and that there was a need to address the questions that had emerged around the electoral process.

Referring to the constitutional status of the Election Commission, KTR said it was an independent constitutional body and argued that the matter deserved the special attention of the Supreme Court. He pointed out that no other government agency had conducted an inquiry into the issue and said the apex court should therefore examine the matter.

“The Supreme Court should take suo motu cognisance of the matter and conduct an inquiry,” KTR said.

He expressed hope that a Supreme Court inquiry into the issue would provide answers to several questions and help bring clarity to the concerns surrounding the SIR process.

KTR further stressed the need to resolve the doubts surrounding the electoral process and ensure that the facts are brought to light. He said an examination of the matter by the Supreme Court could help address the questions that had arisen and establish greater clarity on the issues being raised.

The BRS working president reiterated that the concerns surrounding the SIR process needed to be examined in a manner that would address the questions and doubts that had emerged. He said the focus should be on bringing out the facts and removing the uncertainty surrounding the electoral process.

Meanwhile, responding to the report, the Election Commission of India (ECI) clarified that all its official orders carry full legal sanction under Article 324 and follow established statutory procedures. The Commission maintained that internal notes, queries, and differing observations during draft stages are standard deliberative checks and balances in a multi-member constitutional body aimed at safeguarding voter rights and refining electoral processes, rather than signs of institutional conflict.

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Terming the media report a selective portrayal that ignores the larger body of consensus, the ECI emphasised that all major decisions, electoral reforms, and nationwide roll revisions (including SIR) in recent months were outcomes of unanimous decisions by the full Commission, reaffirming its commitment to executing its constitutional duties with complete integrity.