Chandigarh, October 23, 2026 (Yes Punjab News)
The Punjab Vidhan Sabha on Friday unanimously passed a resolution moved by Finance Minister Harpal Singh Cheema, urging constitutional safeguards to protect eligible citizens’ voting rights during the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls.
The resolution called on the Union Government and relevant constitutional authorities to ensure transparency, impartial scrutiny of electoral roll discrepancies and accountability in the electoral process.
Addressing the House, Cheema said protecting every eligible citizen’s right to vote was essential to strengthening Indian democracy. Referring to Articles 324, 325 and 326 of the Constitution, he highlighted their role in the supervision of elections, preventing discrimination in electoral rolls and guaranteeing universal adult suffrage.
Recalling the period before Independence, when voting rights were restricted to a limited section of society, Cheema paid tribute to Bharat Ratna Dr. B.R. Ambedkar for his contribution to establishing constitutional principles of equality and universal voting rights.
He said the right to vote was a hard-won democratic privilege that enabled the poor, labourers, Dalits, minorities and other sections of society to participate equally in the country’s governance.
Expressing concern over reports of large-scale deletions from electoral rolls and the alleged exclusion of eligible voters, Cheema said such developments had raised serious questions about the integrity of the electoral process in different parts of the country.
He stressed that public confidence in democratic institutions depended on ensuring that no eligible citizen was deprived of the right to vote.
Referring to past controversies and complaints concerning electoral rolls in Delhi and other states, Cheema alleged that supporters of opposition parties and marginalised communities had faced selective targeting. He called for a thorough and impartial investigation into these complaints, adding that any deliberate attempt to undermine the electoral process should invite strict legal action if established by evidence.
Cheema also demanded an independent, transparent and credible mechanism to investigate reported electoral roll irregularities and examine administrative conduct under Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar. He said institutional autonomy, neutrality and accountability were essential to the functioning of constitutional democracy.
Welcoming the unanimous passage of the resolution, Cheema said the right to vote was not merely an administrative formality but the voice of ordinary citizens and an expression of equal democratic participation. He described safeguarding this right as a collective constitutional responsibility that transcended political considerations.
Through the resolution, the Assembly urged the Union Government and relevant constitutional authorities to ensure the protection of voting rights, order an impartial inquiry into reported discrepancies in electoral rolls and establish accountability wherever irregularities were found.
Copies of the resolution will be forwarded to the President of India, the Prime Minister and the Chief Election Commissioner for appropriate follow-up action.
Several legislators supported the resolution and expressed their views in the House. They included Inderjit Kaur Mann (Nakodar), Dr. Ishank Kumar (Chabbewal), Manpreet Singh Ayali (Dakha), Dr. Amandeep Kaur (Moga), Rupinder Singh Happy (Bassi Pathana), Dr. Nachhatar Pal (Nawanshahr), Amansher Singh Sherry Kalsi (Batala), Prof. Baljinder Kaur (Talwandi Sabo), Amolak Singh (Jaito) and Cabinet Minister Aman Arora.
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