The Punjab Assembly passed a resolution against election irregularities
Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann. File | Photo credit: ANI
The Punjab Assembly on Friday (October 23, 2026) unanimously passed an official resolution seeking an independent probe into alleged election irregularities and the functioning of the Election Commission under Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar.
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Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann, who participated in the debate on the resolution on the 2nd day of the assembly session, accused the BJP of allegedly “looting” votes, which he termed as dangerous for democracy, and demanded the scrapping of the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls.
Mr Mann claimed that the names of 14 million voters were deleted from the national electoral rolls under the guise of SIR. He also claimed that elections in Bihar, West Bengal, Haryana and Maharashtra were won through “chori elections”.
The six-day special session of the Punjab Vidhan Sabha began on Thursday (October 22) and will continue till October 27.
Earlier, Finance Minister Harpal Singh Cheema moved the resolution in the House even though Congress, Akali Dal and BJP legislators were not present.
“This House firmly reiterates that every legitimate citizen’s vote is rare in a democracy. Illegal deprivation of the right to vote is contrary to the basic values of constitutional democracy,” the resolution reads.
Protecting the voting rights of the people and ensuring the accountability of electoral institutions are necessary to protect democracy in the country, he added.
“This House demands the establishment of an independent, impartial and credible inquiry mechanism to investigate the alleged irregularities in the electoral process and electoral rolls under Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar so that the truth can emerge and accountability can be fixed,” the resolution said.
If, during the course of the investigation, concrete evidence of a criminal offense against a person appears, criminal prosecution should be initiated against him in accordance with the law, the resolution further states.
Public confidence in democratic institutions can only be maintained by ensuring that no eligible voter is excluded and that every citizen’s right to vote remains protected,” said Mr Chhema.
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Mr Mann argued that the country had reached a point where the BJP government, once elected by the people, now decided who could vote and warned that a “dictatorship” had taken control of all four pillars of democracy.
“Whenever any opposition party raises questions about the functioning of EVMs, the BJP comes out in support of the system. Now they are supporting CEC Gyanesh Kumar. It means they know that Gyanesh Kumar helped them win (elections). This is dangerous for democracy,” Mr Mann said.
He also urged citizens to protect the constitution, cultivate democratic values and speak up whenever the people’s rights are threatened.
“Punjab has taken the lead by passing a resolution against electoral irregularities. Every eligible citizen must be able to exercise his right to vote without fear of arbitrary disqualification,” he said.
Akali Dal Waris Punjab leader De Manpreet Singh Ayali supported the resolution and said the SIR exercise is mired in controversies.
He also alleged that vote erasure is being done in favor of the BJP while demanding an independent probe.
Demanding the resignation of Gyanesh Kumar, Mr. Ayali also accused the Election Commission of not registering Waris Punjab De as a political party and issuing it an election symbol.
Published – 23 Oct 2026 23:59 IST