SIR: CM DK Shivakumar hails ECI special drive to enrol voters claiming victory after dharna

Chief Minister DK Shivakumar on Friday welcomed the Election Commission of India's (ECI) decision to launch a nationwide special drive to identify and enrol voters left out of electoral rolls after the Special Intensive Revision (SIR), saying the move would help safeguard the voting rights of eligible citizens.

Shivakumar claimed the ECI's latest directive followed concerns raised by the Congress over attempts at large-scale deletion from electoral rolls.

"We welcome the order issued overnight by the ECI, which came after the protest we staged before the State Election Commission yesterday. This is not just a victory for the Congress party or the government, but a victory for voters in Karnataka and across the country," the CM said.


The ECI, the CM said, has instructed Chief Electoral Officers, District Election Officers and Electoral Registration Officers across states to undertake a special enrolment drive for left-out voters as well as first-time and young electors.

The Commission has directed Booth Level Officers (BLOs) to compare the current electoral roll with the pre-SIR roll and identify voters whose names were included earlier but are missing from the latest list. BLOs have been asked to conduct house-to-house visits, verify the status of such voters and facilitate enrolment through Form 6 wherever eligible.

Officials have been asked to cover 20-25 electors a week and complete the exercise in about a month. The drive will also focus on enrolling first-time voters, young electors and others left out of the rolls, Shivakumar said.

"The ECI has made it clear that voter enrolment is a continuous process and anyone whose name has been excluded can apply for inclusion at any time. The purpose of this drive is to identify such voters and help them get enrolled," he said.

Under the ECI's instructions, the lists prepared by BLOs will be shared with recognised political parties and submitted to Electoral Registration Officers along with Form 6 applications and verification reports. Booth-level enrolment camps will also be organised, while special camps may be held for people living in labour colonies, night shelters and other marginalised communities.

The CM said the ECI has also directed election authorities to step up awareness campaigns through educational institutions, local outreach programmes, SVEEP activities and media briefings.

Sharpening his attack on the BJP, Shivakumar alleged that applications had been filed seeking deletion of voters belonging to weaker sections. "This is shameful. Their objective is to get the votes of Dalits and minorities removed. Such people are unfit to be in politics," he said.

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