JD (S) leader questions Congress party’s concerns about SIR

Former minister and JD (S) leader SR Mahesh on Tuesday questioned the Congress party’s concerns over the Special Intensive Review (SIR) taken up by the Election Commission of India (ECI).

Addressing a press conference in Mysuru, Mr. Mahesh said the Congress party’s concerns over the SIR, an exercise carried out to revise the electoral roll, had raised doubts about the party’s victory during the 2023 assembly elections. “Now we have started having doubts about how you could have won the 2023 Assembly elections,” he said.

SIR is aimed at revising electoral rolls by removing multiple entries of voters and those who have died. “Why are you afraid of such an exercise? If the names of genuine voters are omitted, there is provision for their inclusion,” he said.

Although SIR conducts ECI, it is conducted by officials who belong to the state government.

Mr. Mahesh also accused the Congress government of pursuing a vendetta policy against their party leader and Union Minister for Heavy Industries and Steel HD Kumaraswamy.

While there have been several cases of interference by politicians across the state over the years, no such case has been handed over to the Special Investigation Team (SIT). “The SIT has only been entrusted with the case related to Mr. Kumaraswamy. This is revenge politics,” he alleged.

“There are a number of allegations against many politicians. Why is action being initiated only against Mr. Kumaraswamy?” he asked. Referring to Nikhil Kumaraswamy’s election defeat, Mr. Mahesh said that Nikhil had got 5.5 lakh votes in Mandya and claimed that no Congress leader had got such a huge number of votes.

MLCs CN Manjegowda and Vivekananda, Mysuru JD (S) district unit president Ashwin Kumar and party Mysuru city unit president SBM Manju and other local leaders were also present.

Published – 26 May 2026 20:33 IST