Opposition proposes discussion on 'electoral reforms' as 'middle path' to end deadlock on SIR

Jairam Ramesh

The Opposition on Wednesday proposed a discussion on " electoral reforms" as a "middle path" to end the stalemate in Parliament over debate on the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls in Bihar, news agency PTI reported citing sources.

However, the news agency reported that the government sources indicated that the ruling side is unlikely to do any such debate.

Union Parliamentary Affairs Minister Kiren Rijuju said that rules do not allow discussion on matters that are sub-judice. He also said that functioning of autonomous institutions such as the Election Commission cannot be discussed in Parliament.

Meanwhile, Congress general secretary (Communications) Jairam Ramesh shared a post of Gaurav Gogoi, claiming that the Parliament has a long history of discussing electoral reforms and the functioning of the Election Commission.

He said Gogoi's post has "thoroughly exposed the bogus claims of the Modi government, which is preventing Parliament from functioning smoothly".

Gogoi, in a post on X, said that in 1961, the upper house debated amendments to the Conduct of Elections Rules, led by then Law Minister Gopal Swarup Pathak.

He further said that in 1981, Congress MP Manubhai Patel moved a resolution to set up a parliamentary committee to review election laws.

"In 1991, the Upper House debated the urgent need to amend existing election laws. In 2015, a Calling Attention Motion was moved by Rajya Sabha LoP Ghulam Nabi Azad on proxy and e-postal voting for NRIs. Law Minister DV Sadananda Gowda accepted the Opposition’s demand to consider their views," the Congress MP said.

"And as recently as 2019, a Short Duration Discussion on electoral reforms saw participation from the then Law Minister Ravi Shankar Prasad. There is ample precedent. The government must not delay the long overdue and essential discussion on electoral reforms," he added.

Ramesh further give example of another instance, saying there was a discussion in 1986 as well on the "need to introduce comprehensive electoral reforms and to undertake a fresh delimitation of parliamentary and assembly constituencies".