Opposition suggests debate on ‘electoral reforms’ as ‘middle path’ to end Parliament logjam

The Opposition has proposed allowing a discussion on “electoral reforms” as a “middle path” to end the deadlock in Parliament over the demand for a debate on the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls in Bihar, according to sources within the Opposition parties.

The government has not yet responded to the proposal, they said on Wednesday.

However, government sources indicated that the ruling side is unlikely to accede to any such debate.

Speaking in the Lok Sabha on Wednesday on the demand for a discussion on SIR, Union Parliamentary Affairs Minister Kiren Rijiju stressed that rules of the Lok Sabha do not allow sub-judice matters to be discussed in the House. He also pointed out that the functioning of autonomous institutions such as the Election Commission cannot be discussed in Parliament.

Meanwhile, Congress general secretary (Communications) Jairam Ramesh cited a post by the party’s deputy leader in the Lok Sabha, Gaurav Gogoi, which claimed that Parliament has a long history of discussing electoral reforms and the functioning of the Election Commission.

Ramesh said Gogoi has done excellent research and “thoroughly exposed the bogus claims of the Modi government, which is preventing Parliament from functioning smoothly”.

In a post on X, Gogoi said that in 1961, the Rajya Sabha debated amendments to the Conduct of Elections Rules — the discussion was led by then Law Minister Gopal Swarup Pathak, he said.

In 1981, Congress MP Manubhai Patel moved a resolution to set up a parliamentary committee to review election laws, Gogoi pointed out.

“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 said.

Let us discuss electoral reforms in Parliament, Gogoi added.

Ramesh cited 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”.

There has been a logjam in Parliament over the SIR in Bihar, which the Opposition has alleged is being done to disenfranchise a large number of voters ahead of the state election to help the ruling combine.

Barring discussions on Operation Sindoor in both Houses, Parliament has seen little business ever since the Monsoon session began on July 21 due to repeated adjournments, mostly over the SIR issue.