The Centre has agreed to hold a debate on electoral reforms in the Lok Sabha on Tuesday, December 9, a day after a separate discussion on Vande Mataram. Parliamentary Affairs Minister Kiren Rijiju announced the schedule on X, noting that the national song’s 150th anniversary will be debated on December 8, followed by poll reforms on December 9.
The electoral reforms discussion is expected to centre on the poll panel’s Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of voter rolls — a process the Opposition has repeatedly demanded be examined in Parliament. Opposition parties are likely to highlight concerns over alleged voter deletions and the recent death of a Booth Level Officer, while the government is expected to counter by citing past issues such as booth capturing and the smooth conduct of the recent Bihar elections.
Sources said Opposition leaders had earlier agreed to take up the Vande Mataram debate first, ahead of the Business Advisory Committee meeting. Earlier in the day, Parliament saw repeated disruptions over demands for an urgent discussion on the SIR exercise.
Congress president and Leader of the Opposition in the Rajya Sabha, Mallikarjun Kharge, criticised the government for delaying the debate, calling it “unfortunate” and “harmful for democracy.”
