MP Dharamvira Gandhi's name "very much part of draft electoral rolls", clarifies Election Commission
Patiala (Punjab), September 4, 2026 (ANI): The Election Commission of India (ECI) on Friday clarified that Congress MP Dharamvira Gandhi and his family members are included in the Punjab draft electoral rolls published on August 13, dismissing claims that their names were missing.
The clarification came amid a row over Gandhi's remarks that the ongoing Special Intensive Revision (SIR) process in Punjab had caused "a lot of confusion". He claimed that he had been informed that voter mapping for five members of his family, including himself, had not been completed.
"Instead of being smooth, people-friendly, and convenient process as it should have been, the SIR process in Punjab has caused a lot of confusion. To the extent that the voter mapping for all five of us--myself, my wife, my daughter, my daughter-in-law, and my son--could not be completed. This is a fact, and I was informed that our mapping hasn't been done," Gandhi told reporters here.
However, according to an official statement, the ECI rejected the claims that Gandhi and his family members were missing from the draft electoral rolls.
"It is categorically informed that the above statement is incorrect, baseless, and unsubstantiated," the authorities said in an official statement. The statement said that Gandhi and his family members are "very much a part" of the Draft Electoral Rolls published on August 13, 2026.
According to the official clarification, all five family members are registered as electors in Assembly Constituency No. 115--Patiala, Part No. 98, at serial numbers 44 to 48.
"All esteemed members of the media are requested to refrain from reporting unsubstantiated and incorrect information regarding SIR 2026," the statement said. (ANI)