Rajya Sabha MP Pradip Kumar Varma Backs One Nation, One Election for Cost Savings

December 16, 2025

New Delhi: Rajya Sabha MP and BJP General Secretary from Jharkhand, Pradip Kumar Varma, on Tuesday highlighted the crucial role of the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) programme in ensuring free and fair elections and backed the objective of ‘One Nation, One Election’ during a press conference on issues related to the Election Commission of India.

Electoral Reforms Will Strengthen Democracy

Pradip Kumar Varma stated that India’s democratic structure can remain strong only when elections are conducted in a free, fair, and transparent manner. He emphasized that continuous reforms in electoral processes are essential to maintain public trust in democratic institutions.

Special Emphasis on Voter List Purification

During his address, Varma underlined the importance of accurate and error-free voter lists. He praised the Election Commission’s Special Intensive Revision (SIR) programme, which aims to improve electoral rolls by eliminating discrepancies, removing duplicate entries, and ensuring voter list accuracy.

Bihar’s SIR Campaign Sets an Example

Referring to the SIR campaign conducted in Bihar between June and September, Pradip Kumar Varma said the initiative has emerged as an excellent example of effective electoral management. He informed that during the campaign:

• Duplicate voter names were removed

• Eligible new voters were added

• Nearly one lakh Booth Level Officers (BLOs) participated actively

As a result, elections in Bihar were conducted in a transparent, orderly, and systematic manner.

Record Voter Turnout Boosts Public Confidence

He further noted that Bihar recorded over 66 percent voter turnout, considered among the highest in recent decades. According to Varma, this reflects growing public confidence driven by clean and reliable voter lists.

Nationwide Expansion of SIR Campaign

Pradip Kumar Varma informed that the SIR programme is now being implemented across:

• 12 States

• 321 Districts

• 1,843 Assembly Constituencies

He said the primary objectives of the programme are removal of duplicate entries, inclusion of eligible voters, and publication of voter lists with complete accuracy and transparency.

Fake Voting Will Be Prevented

Varma stated that improvements in voter lists would effectively prevent bogus and illegal voting, thereby enhancing the credibility and fairness of elections.

‘One Nation, One Election’ Goal Will Be Strengthened

Concluding his remarks, Pradip Kumar Varma said that strong electoral institutions and accurate voter lists form the foundation for achieving national objectives such as ‘One Nation, One Election’. He urged all political parties to support electoral reforms in the larger national interest.