By Firstdespatch Desk Sep 28, 2026
Agartala, Sept 28 (FD) Tripura Chief Minister Dr. Manik Saha today said that wherever opposition political parties lose an election or do not get the support of the people, they blame the EVMs or the Election Commission, which has become a habit for them.
Addressing a press conference today, Dr Saha said that a report was published stating that the two other commissioners who are with the Chief Election Commissioner have repeatedly objected to the SIR or other issues, and the question has also been raised here that various questions have been raised about the repeated differences of opinion and discussions within the Election Commission.
“But I want to clearly say that there can be discussions within the Election Commission; there can be differences of opinion. I think that is one of the signs of a vibrant, healthy democracy. If there are different opinions but later on when consensus is reached, it is very good news and lively for a democracy. And the fact that there is discussion or disagreement within the Election Commission does not mean that there is no democracy here. Rather, such an exchange of views and the opportunity for discussion is very necessary for democracy and especially necessary for a healthy democracy,” he said.
He said that on September 26, 2026, when the opposition was asking various questions about this, a clear message was given by the Election Commission.
He said that there are three commissioners, including the Chief Election Commissioner, and through their signatures, they have clarified the final decision on the SIR that has been taken, that is, the decision on the Special Intensive Revision. The decision on the SIR is a single decision, which has been made clear to the public.
“Therefore, it is clear today that this special process of revising the voter list, or the Special Intensive Revision, has been completed on the basis of the signatures of all the commissioners and their unanimity and consensus. This further proves that there is no dictatorship going on in the constitutional body,” he said.
Dr Saha said that the main purpose is to create a transparent and accurate electoral roll by excluding fake, deceased or transferred voters, or infiltrators who have not got Indian citizenship.
“The court has also made it clear that if a person is removed from the electoral roll through the SIR process, he will not lose his Indian citizenship. Even then, he has the opportunity, and it is only a verification process of voting eligibility. Even if the SIR deadline is exceeded, the applicable form can be used. I think the opposition, i.e. the INDIA Alliance, has fallen into a political trap. The dispute is not increasing, and they have made such a baseless allegation. We always see that when they lose elections, they continuously target the constitutional institutions. And the opposition can call it a smear campaign or propaganda, and its main purpose is to tarnish the main institutions of the country,” said Dr Saha.
He pointed out that he was not speaking here on behalf of the Election Commission. Rather, he was responding to this dirty propaganda politically so that people's trust in the democratic system of the country can be maintained.
“If we look at the last Assembly elections in West Bengal, as an example, we have presented to you about 20 Assembly seats where the maximum number of voters were cancelled. It was seen that most of those seats were won by the Trinamool Congress. So how come the Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar, who said that the votes were cancelled due to SIR, under the leadership of Gyanesh Kumar, now we have seen that he has shown what a violence-free election is in Bengal. We are exposing the truth in front of you and we are politically putting it in front of you,” he said.
Dr Saha said that current Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar joined on February 19, 2025.
“So when the elections were held in Kerala in 2026, I myself went there for the campaign. The UDF Congress-led government there won 97 seats. So, the complaint that you have made there too could have been made there too.
“So, their job is that when they lose, they always raise their fingers against these institutions, and when they win, there is no word,” he said, adding that whenever opposition parties lose an election or do not get the support of the people, they blame the EVMs or the Election Commission.
“It has become a habit for them. People now understand these things. From what we have seen so far, the Election Commission is completely neutral, and they are working in a systematic manner in accordance with the law,” he added. PRESS RELEASE