SIR unconstitutional and must be reversed: Former Election Chief

Former Chief Election Commissioner O.P. Quraishi has declared the Simultaneous Elections in India (SIR) framework unconstitutional and called for its reversal, intensifying opposition to the government's electoral reform agenda. Speaking at an event organised by The Hindu, Quraishi joined other opposition leaders in challenging the legal and political foundations of the proposal. The opposition contends that the delimitation exercise—redrawing electoral boundaries—and the simultaneous elections scheme have been deliberately coordinated to provide electoral advantage to the ruling party. The government plans to introduce related bills around October 11, with the Monsoon Session yet to be formally prorogued. The timing suggests the administration intends to push legislative action on the contentious proposals before the session concludes. The simultaneous elections concept, which proposes holding national and state elections together, remains deeply polarizing, with critics arguing it threatens India's federal structure and state autonomy. The delimitation process, which redraws constituency boundaries based on demographic changes, has also drawn scrutiny from opposition parties who question its neutrality and implementation methodology.