Agartala, 24th October 2026 : Opposition parties in Tripura have decided to take their protest against the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls to the streets, with the INDIA Bloc announcing a march to the office of the Chief Electoral Officer on October 30.
The protest will begin at Orient Chowmuhani in Agartala at 11 am, from where leaders, supporters and workers of the opposition alliance will march to the CEO’s office and submit a memorandum. The principal demands include cancellation of the SIR exercise and removal of Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar.
CPI(M) state secretary Jitendra Chaudhury and Tripura Pradesh Congress Committee president Ashish Kumar Saha announced their opposition to the ongoing exercise at a press conference at Agartala Press Club on Saturday, alleging that the Election Commission’s functioning had raised serious questions about the protection of democratic rights.
Chaudhury accused the BJP-led government at the Centre of weakening constitutional institutions and questioned whether the Election Commission was discharging its responsibilities impartially. He warned that the revision of electoral rolls could potentially exclude eligible citizens from the voting process.
During the briefing, concerns were also raised over the possibility of approximately 2.5 lakh voters losing their names from Tripura’s electoral rolls. However, no independently verified official data was presented to establish the figure.
The alliance has drawn up a four-point charter for the October 30 demonstration. Apart from seeking Kumar’s removal and the cancellation of SIR, it calls for a review of relevant legal provisions to protect the independence of the Election Commission and opposes legal immunity provisions applicable to the Chief Election Commissioner.
Saha, meanwhile, questioned the decision-making process within the poll panel and alleged that the concerns of its other commissioners were being sidelined. Referring to allegations raised by Lok Sabha Leader of Opposition Rahul Gandhi and a report published by The Indian Express, he demanded greater transparency in electoral procedures.
The Congress leader also expressed apprehension over alleged irregularities in voter registration, including multiple entries and unusually high numbers of electors associated with individual addresses. He claimed that changes introduced through the SIR process could adversely affect sections of the electorate perceived to support opposition parties. These claims have not been independently established.
Both leaders appealed to democratic-minded citizens and political organisations outside the INDIA Bloc to participate in the agitation. They maintained that the issue extended beyond party politics and concerned the protection of voting rights and the credibility of democratic institutions.
The proposed march in Agartala forms part of the opposition alliance’s broader campaign against the SIR exercise. While opposition parties have questioned the process, the Election Commission has defended its actions as being consistent with constitutional and legal requirements.
The October 30 programme is expected to provide the Tripura opposition with a platform to press for electoral reforms and demand greater accountability from the country’s poll authorities.
