Pics: Spoorthi Ullal

Daijiworld Media Network – Mangaluru (NJC)

Mangaluru, Sep 26: AICC secretary and Andhra Pradesh in-charge, and MLC P V Mohan, raised several concerns regarding the ongoing Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls and alleged irregularities in the addition and deletion of voters during a press conference held at the Congress Bhavan in Mallikatte on Saturday.

Mohan said the issue of voter-list revision needed serious public attention and alleged that a large number of voters were being removed from electoral rolls across several states. Referring to Karnataka, he claimed that around 1.08 crore voters had been deleted from the draft electoral roll, while only around 6–7 lac new voters had been added through Form 6.

Comparing the process with the revision carried out in Kerala, he said discrepancies in voter lists there were verified through Booth Level Officers (BLOs), with eligible voters subsequently restored to the rolls. He questioned the extent of authority currently available to Electoral Registration Officers (EROs) and BLOs in Karnataka.

Mohan also raised concerns over the alleged misuse of Form 7, which is used for objections to the inclusion of names in electoral rolls. Referring to incidents in Belagavi and Malleswaram, he called for greater scrutiny of deletion requests and adherence to the prescribed verification process.

He further alleged that changes to Form 6, used by first-time voters to register, could discourage young people from enrolling. He urged authorities to ensure that eligible first-time voters are given an opportunity to register without unnecessary obstacles.

Calling for investigative journalism into the functioning of electoral-roll systems, Mohan alleged that a private agency associated with BJP election operations had access to voter data and the Election Commission's system. He did not name the organisation or individual allegedly associated with it, and said the matter should be independently investigated and verified.

Mohan also referred to voter-roll-related controversies and developments reported from states including Kerala, Goa, Uttar Pradesh, West Bengal, Maharashtra and Karnataka. He said the sanctity and transparency of electoral rolls were essential to maintaining public confidence in the electoral process.

He also spoke about the importance of Tulu identity and welcomed the recent decision regarding recognition of Tulu, while stating that the language and its identity extend beyond Dakshina Kannada and Udupi.

Mohan said the Congress would continue raising the issue and announced that a padayatra would be held on Monday as part of the party's campaign on voter-roll-related concerns.