The release of the Uttar Pradesh Special Intensive Revision (SIR) draft electoral roll has sparked significant backlash from opposition parties. The draft proposes the removal of 2.89 crore voters, which constitutes nearly 19 percent of the state’s electorate. Critics have accused the ruling government of large-scale disenfranchisement, administrative haste, and ulterior political motives.
Ajay Rai, the president of the Uttar Pradesh Congress, characterized the deletions as a “major conspiracy” and called for a comprehensive investigation. He raised concerns about the integrity of the electoral process, noting that 1.13 crore voter forms distributed by Booth Level Officers (BLOs) were not returned. “Had this exercise not been carried out in such haste, the figures would have been different,” said Rai, adding that several BLOs reportedly passed away during the revision process.
Rai further stated, “Many lives could have been saved if the state’s intention was only to exclude voters,” accusing the government of failing to provide adequate time for voter participation.
The Samajwadi Party (SP) echoed these sentiments, warning that marginalized communities could be disproportionately impacted. SP leader Fakhrul Hasan Chaand emphasized the party’s commitment to safeguard Pichhda, Dalit, and Adivasi (PDA) votes. He suggested that linking Aadhaar cards with voter IDs could enhance transparency.
From Saharanpur, SP Lok Sabha MP Imran Masood described the situation as “deeply alarming,” asserting that nearly 25 percent of voters in the city had been removed. He demanded clarity regarding the deletions and accountability from the Election Commission, urging that revisions should ensure all eligible voters can exercise their rights.
Ravidas Mehrotra of the SP criticized the electoral roll exercise, highlighting that while a significant number of names were removed, insufficient efforts were made to add eligible voters, which contradicts the Election Commission’s responsibilities. “The voters excluded should be added back as soon as possible, with the same fervor with which they were removed,” he said.
Congress spokesperson Surendra Rajput argued that the removal of nearly one-fifth of the electorate calls into question the legitimacy of the ruling BJP government. Gurdeep Singh Sappal, a senior Congress leader, claimed that both his name and those of his family members were removed despite having submitted all necessary documentation. He described the SIR process as “deliberately complicated” and flawed.
In a post on X, Sappal pointed out that many voters have faced similar issues. “I am not an unknown individual… Yet our names were deleted!” he lamented.
In response, Uttar Pradesh Minister Jaiveer Singh dismissed the opposition’s allegations, urging critics not to politicize the electoral roll revision process. He stated that the SIR, an initiative by the Election Commission, aims to eliminate “bogus, deceased, duplicate, or shifted voters to ensure a clean and credible electoral roll.” He reassured that genuine voters whose names were deleted can restore them through a clear provision for correction and verification by BLOs.
Election officials also defended the revision process. Chief Electoral Officer Navdeep Rinwa urged voters to check their names in the draft list and report errors using Form 8. He noted that the claims and objections window would remain open for one month, with hearings and verifications continuing until February 27.
According to Election Commission data, of the 2.89 crore proposed deletions, 46.23 lakh voters were found to be deceased, 2.17 crore were absent or had shifted addresses, and 25.47 lakh had multiple enrollments. Uttar Pradesh has recorded the highest number of deletions among all states and Union Territories where the SIR has been implemented, surpassing Tamil Nadu and Gujarat.
The post “Major conspiracy”: Opposition flags ‘mass disenfranchisement’ as 2.89 crore voters face deletion in UP SIR appeared first on Maktoob media.
Tags: “Major conspiracy”: Opposition flags ‘mass disenfranchisement’ as 2.89 crore voters face deletion in UP SIR Extract 5 SEO-friendly keywords as tags. Output only keywords, comma separated.
Hashtags: #Major #conspiracy #Opposition #flags #mass #disenfranchisement #crore #voters #face #deletion #SIR
