The Congress party on Tuesday launched a sharp critique of the ongoing Special Summary Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls, warning that the rushed process threatens to disenfranchise large numbers of poor and vulnerable citizens. The party accused the Election Commission of India (ECI) of conducting the exercise in an adhoc manner, marked by constant updates and new directives to Booth Level Officers (BLOs).
Congress Questions Motive and Execution
Congress spokesperson Sasikanth Senthil challenged the rationale behind the hurried SIR. He specifically questioned Home Minister Amit Shah's statement linking the SIR to the removal of illegal immigrants. Senthil asked why the Home Minister was clarifying an issue that should be addressed by the Election Commission, raising the pointed query, "Is EC operating under the home minister?"
He argued that the SIR, in its current form, functions like a census aiming to create a voters' list from scratch. Historically, such an extensive process was conducted over two years in a staggered manner. The present tight deadline of just a month or two, he contended, is impractical and exclusionary.
Alarming Data Points and Software Flip-Flops
Senthil presented data to underscore his party's concerns. He highlighted that in Tamil Nadu, a state with no significant issue of infiltrators, a staggering 97 lakh names have been omitted from the preliminary rolls. He clarified that duplicate names often belong to internal migrants who move for work, not illegal immigrants.
Further criticizing the execution, he pointed to Bihar, where 14.5 lakh duplicate voters reportedly remain even after the SIR. He revealed that the EC had for years used a "de-duplication software" to identify such entries but suddenly abandoned it for the SIR in Bihar. Citing media reports, he stated the EC then made a U-turn and decided to reintroduce the software for the ongoing SIR in 12 states. "Such abrupt actions are creating doubts in the minds of people," Senthil asserted.
Ground Reports Point to Chaotic Implementation
The Congress leader stated that ground reports and feedback from elected representatives paint a picture of a hasty and poorly managed process. He claimed that BLOs are not receiving proper training and are being overwhelmed by a constantly changing protocol. "While the whole process is underway, the BLO app is being updated with some new protocol every day," Senthil said, illustrating the operational chaos.
He warned that this rushed and unplanned approach will inevitably lead to the exclusion of weaker sections and migrants from the voters' lists in large numbers. Summarizing the party's stance, Senthil declared, "We find this whole process very fishy. EC needs to come out with proper reasoning of why this has happened." The Congress has positioned itself as guarding the democratic rights of the marginalized against what it calls a flawed and suspicious administrative exercise.
