Old voter rolls, ballot papers, more EC transparency: Congress chief Kharge lays out INDIA bloc’s election demands

Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge on Wednesday called for the INDIA bloc to push for the use of electoral rolls prepared before the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) in future elections and demanded greater transparency in the revision of voter lists.

He also backed a return to ballot-paper voting and urged opposition parties to leave their meeting with a joint programme of action.

Speaking at the INDIA bloc meeting attended by TMC chief Mamata Banerjee, RJD leader Tejashwi Yadav and leaders of several other opposition parties, Kharge said the bloc would oppose any move that weakened transparency in the electoral process.


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“And we will not allow the fundamental principle of our Republic -- one person, one vote, one value -- to be weakened,” he said.

Kharge said the opposition parties should seek the use of the pre-SIR electoral roll in future elections. He also called for constituency-wise and booth-wise disclosure of additions, deletions and corrections made during every electoral-roll revision.

Kharge seeks transparency in voter roll revision

Kharge said voters should receive prior notice, reasons for proposed deletions and access to an effective appeal mechanism before their names are removed from electoral rolls.

He also called for safeguards against eligible voters being excluded because of administrative failures, insufficient documentation or lack of awareness.

The Congress president further sought simple voter registration for young citizens, particularly first-time voters, and called for greater institutional accountability from the Election Commission.

“The INDIA parties must stand together when the fundamental democratic right of citizens is at stake. We should therefore leave this meeting with a clear programme of action,” he said.

Kharge also said the opposition should demand an Election Commission that commands confidence across the political spectrum.

INDIA bloc meeting comes amid SIR controversy

The meeting comes amid an ongoing controversy over the Election Commission's handling of the nationwide SIR of electoral rolls.

An Indian Express investigation reported that Election Commissioners Sukhbir Singh Sandhu and Vivek Joshi had raised objections on record at least 14 times over 10 months to decisions and orders concerning electoral-roll management. The reported concerns included voter registration, deletion and restoration of names, changes to Form 6 and access to the electoral-roll database.

Also Read: Election Commission rolls back SIR add-on in Form 6 for new voters in states where revision is complete

The Election Commission has rejected suggestions of a split within the poll panel. It has said that differences of opinion and observations are part of normal internal deliberations and that decisions relating to the SIR were taken unanimously by the three-member Commission.

The Commission has also said that its orders and administrative directions carry legal sanction and follow established statutory procedures.

Kharge backs ballot voting over EVMs

Kharge also called for voting through ballot papers instead of electronic voting machines, linking the demand to his broader call for transparency and voter confidence.

“The ballot belongs to the people, and the mandate belongs to the people,” he said.

“So the power of government ultimately rests in the hands of the people,” Kharge said.

“Our task today is to ensure that the people of India remain the final and unquestioned authority in our democracy,” he said.

His remarks come as opposition parties have stepped up demands for greater scrutiny of electoral-roll revisions and the functioning of the Election Commission. ET reporting on the SIR controversy has noted that the reported objections by Sandhu and Joshi covered issues including changes to Form 6, voter deletions and restorations, electoral-roll database access and communications issued in the Commission's name.

Sonia Gandhi, Rahul Gandhi among INDIA bloc leaders at meeting

Former Congress presidents Sonia Gandhi and Rahul Gandhi, Congress general secretary Jairam Ramesh and K C Venugopal were among those present at the meeting.

Leaders from the Samajwadi Party, CPI, CPI(M), NCP(SP) and Shiv Sena (UBT) also attended.

Kharge said the opposition's focus should remain on protecting voters' rights and ensuring accountability in the electoral process, while seeking a common course of action among INDIA bloc parties.