Karaikudi, Sep 28 (SocialNews.XYZ) Congress leader P. Chidambaram on Monday demanded the immediate suspension of the Election Commission’s Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls, alleging that the exercise had removed millions of eligible voters and left them facing disenfranchisement.
Chidambaram joined a Congress protest in Karaikudi, Sivagangai district, Tamil Nadu, as party workers demonstrated against what they termed “vote chori” and criticised Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar.
He said the protest had drawn strong local support and reflected public anger at the Election Commission.
Similar demonstrations were reported in Udupi (Karnataka), Bhopal (Madhya Pradesh), Hyderabad (Telangana), Jammu and Uttar Pradesh. The Congress has made the SIR and its demand for Kumar’s resignation central to its campaign.
Chidambaram claimed that 13.3 crore adults had been removed from electoral rolls nationwide. That figure could not be independently verified from available Election Commission data and remains his allegation.
Citing appeals arising from the SIR in West Bengal, he argued that many deleted voters would regain their places on the rolls if given an effective opportunity to challenge their removal.
Earlier figures released by the Election Commission showed that about 91 per cent of appeals decided by tribunals in the state had resulted in names being restored.
He noted, however, that this outcome could not establish how appeals across the country would be decided.
Chidambaram said the Election Commission should take responsibility for what he described as illegal mass disenfranchisement. He called for the suspension of the SIR while it examined ways to restore eligible voters' names and provide redress.
The Commission has defended the revision process, stating that all three election commissioners approved its SIR-related orders. It has also pointed to the appeal process available to those whose names are removed.
The dispute now centres on whether safeguards can identify and correct wrongful deletions before voters lose their chance to cast a ballot.
Source: IANS
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