Patiala MP Dharamvir Gandhi flags SIR lapses

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MP says five family members’ votes were not mapped, questions difficulties faced by ordinary voters.

Patiala, September 4

Patiala MP Dr Dharamvir Gandhi has raised questions over the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) process, claiming that his name was missing from the voter list and that the votes of five members of his family, including himself, had not been mapped.

Gandhi said his case was resolved through the VIP quota after he approached the authorities in his capacity as a Member of Parliament. However, he said his family members had to visit the Deputy Commissioner’s office and submit their certificates to complete the process.

He questioned whether the procedure was sufficiently simple and accessible for ordinary voters.

“The process should have been easy and should not have put anyone in a dilemma,” Gandhi said, adding that if he had faced difficulties despite being an MP, it raised questions about the problems being encountered by the general public.

Gandhi said he had been living in the same house in the locality since 2000 and had contested elections three times from different places. He added that he and his family had consistently cast their votes from the same location.

He said the fact that his vote had not been mapped despite his long-standing residence and electoral participation raised concerns about the implementation of the SIR process.

“If a person like me, who is himself an MP, is facing the issue of voter mapping, then what must be happening with ordinary people?” he asked.

The MP’s remarks highlight concerns over the ease of the voter verification and mapping process, particularly for people who may face difficulties in submitting documents or approaching government offices.

Gandhi’s comments come amid the ongoing exercise to verify and update electoral records, with the process requiring voters to establish their eligibility through prescribed documentation where necessary.

Punjab government, however, clarified that Dr Gandhi and his family members are included in the draft electoral roll published on August 13 as part of SIR 2026.

The government termed reports claiming that Gandhi and his family members were missing from the draft roll “incorrect, baseless and unsubstantiated”. They said Gandhi and four family members are registered as electors in Assembly Constituency No. 115 (Patiala), Part No. 98, at serial numbers 44 to 48.

The entries include his wife Smt Jagdamba Kaushal at serial number 44, daughter Ms Rohani Prashar at 45, daughter-in-law Mrs Chahat Sahuja at 46, son Mr Nabendhu at 47, and Dr Dharamvir Gandhi at 48.

The government said that the SIR 2026 exercise was proceeding smoothly across Punjab and urged media organisations to verify electoral-roll information before publishing reports. They also appealed against disseminating unverified claims that could create confusion over the ongoing revision process.