New Delhi: Leaders of the INDIA bloc met in New Delhi on Wednesday and announced a joint march to the Election Commission of India (ECI) on October 6 amid a political dispute over the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls and reported differences within the poll panel.
Following the meeting, Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge said Opposition parties would organise a nationwide “Save Democracy” programme from October 2 to 8 and hold a joint march of MPs to the ECI office in Delhi on October 6. The bloc also announced a larger rally in New Delhi on November 1.
Kharge said the Opposition would raise concerns over electoral-roll revisions and called for greater transparency in the process. Among the demands he listed were the use of pre-SIR electoral rolls for future elections, constituency- and booth-level transparency regarding additions and deletions, prior notice and an effective appeal mechanism before removal of eligible voters, safeguards against exclusion caused by administrative issues, and greater institutional accountability.
The Opposition parties also called for voting through paper ballots instead of electronic voting machines (EVMs), according to Kharge's account of the meeting. These are demands of the Opposition bloc and do not represent current Election Commission policy.
Trinamool Congress leader Mamata Banerjee reiterated her demand for the resignation of Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar and criticised the ECI over the SIR exercise. Her allegations regarding electoral irregularities and EVMs are political claims and have not been established as facts.
Rahul Gandhi also accused the government and the Election Commission of undermining India's democratic system. The Congress and its allies have alleged irregularities in the electoral-roll revision process, while the BJP has rejected the Opposition's allegations and defended the Election Commission.
The meeting was attended by Kharge, former Congress presidents Sonia Gandhi and Rahul Gandhi, Congress general secretaries Jairam Ramesh and K C Venugopal, Mamata Banerjee and leaders from parties including the Samajwadi Party, CPI, CPI(M), NCP(SP) and Shiv Sena (UBT), among others.
The dispute has intensified following reports about differences within the Election Commission over decisions related to the SIR process. The Indian Express reported that Election Commissioners Sukhbir Singh Sandhu and Vivek Joshi had raised objections on multiple occasions regarding certain SIR-related decisions.
On Wednesday, the Election Commission removed an additional SIR-related declaration from online Form 6 in states where the revision exercise has been completed. The change applies to the ECINET platform and relevant Chief Electoral Officer portals in those states.
The Election Commission has maintained that the SIR process is being conducted under the applicable electoral laws and procedures. Earlier ECI documents set out procedures for enrolment, verification and claims and objections during the revision exercise.
The latest INDIA bloc meeting follows an earlier gathering of Opposition parties in June, when leaders had discussed electoral and other political issues. The October 6 march and November 1 rally are expected to form part of the bloc's coordinated campaign on the electoral-roll and Election Commission issues.
