3 weeks ago
Congress alleges BJP attempting to delete one crore Karnataka voters
In the Indian state of Karnataka, there is a big argument about voting.
The Election Commission, the office that runs elections, is checking and updating the list of people who can vote, through something called the Special Intensive Revision.
The Congress party says this process is removing the names of many people who should be allowed to vote.
Congress leader Ramesh Babu said more than one crore voters, about one in five of everyone in the state, could disappear from the list.
He said the BJP, Congress's rival political party, wants this to happen so that Congress supporters cannot vote.
Congress also said that workers did not always visit people's homes or hand out the forms needed to stay on the voting list.
The Election Commission says it has already given out 97.7 per cent of the forms, but Congress does not think the process is fair.
Congress asked the Election Commission to give people one more month to fill in forms and to stop deleting names.
It even said it might go to court to protect people's right to vote.
Karnataka Congress leader Ramesh Babu alleged the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls could delete over one crore voters, accusing the BJP of trying to disenfranchise its supporters.
He claimed nearly 20 per cent of Karnataka's 5.40 crore voters were at risk of deletion, up from 15 per cent the previous week.
Around one lakh voters in Bengaluru's K.R. Puram Assembly constituency were allegedly marked absent without Booth Level Officers visiting households.
Congress urged the Election Commission to extend the enumeration form deadline by one month and to prevent the deletions, warning it may approach the High Court.
Congress accused senior BJP leaders, including Union Minister Pralhad Joshi and Karnataka BJP President B.Y. Vijayendra, of defending the Election Commission's actions.
- Who
- Karnataka Congress leaders, including KPCC MLC Ramesh Babu, who accused the BJP and the Election Commission of targeting voters; senior BJP leaders including Union Minister Pralhad Joshi and B.Y. Vijayendra were also named.
- What
- An allegation that the Special Intensive Revision of electoral rolls could remove over one crore eligible voters in Karnataka, described by Congress as an attempt to disenfranchise its supporters.
- Where
- Bengaluru, Karnataka, India.
- When
- Announced at a press conference on Thursday during the ongoing Special Intensive Revision exercise.
- Why
- Congress claimed the BJP wants to delete voters it believes support the Congress party, which won around 43 per cent of the vote in the last Assembly election.
Congress
BJP / Election Commission
Purpose of the SIR voter roll revision
Congress
Congress says the Special Intensive Revision is a deliberate attempt to remove Congress supporters from the electoral rolls, with over one crore voters at risk of deletion, and that the Election Commission is 'functioning like a puppet of the BJP.'
BJP / Election Commission
The Election Commission says it has distributed 97.7 per cent of enumeration forms, and senior BJP leaders have defended the Commission's actions, which Congress claims is support for the deletions.
Conduct of the enumeration process
Congress
Congress claims names are being deleted without Booth Level Officers visiting households or distributing forms, including about one lakh voters marked absent in K.R. Puram, and questions how voters can be treated as absent if forms were distributed.
BJP / Election Commission
The Election Commission's figures indicate the revision has been carried out properly, and state election officials reportedly directed Congress to approach the Election Commission of India for clarifications.
Residence certificates for voters
Congress
Congress says its government's decision to issue residence certificates to eligible voters is intended to protect their voting rights.
BJP / Election Commission
The BJP has criticised the Congress government's residence certificate initiative.
Key facts
- Allegation
- Over one crore voters at risk of deletion in Karnataka through the SIR exercise
- Voters at risk
- Nearly 20 per cent of Karnataka's 5.40 crore voters
- Increase in one week
- From 15 per cent to 20 per cent
- Total voters in Karnataka
- 5.40 crore
- Constituency flagged
- K.R. Puram, Bengaluru - about one lakh voters marked absent
- EC claim on forms
- 97.7 per cent of enumeration forms distributed
- Congress demands
- One-month extension of form deadline and prevention of deletions
- Congress vote share (last election)
- Around 43 per cent
Quotes
Ramesh Babu
KPCC Media and Communications Department Chairman and MLC
“Every vote deleted in Karnataka is the direct responsibility of the BJP. The SIR exercise is not merely an electoral roll revision. It is an attempt to remove Congress supporters from the voters' list.”
thehansindia.com
Sources
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