BENGALURU: A day after submitting a memorandum to the Chief Electoral Officer of Karnataka in Bengaluru alleging irregularities in the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls in the state, leaders of the National Democratic Alliance (NDA) urged Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar to immediately stop the ongoing exercise in the state and order a fresh verification of all enumeration forms through the mandatory door-to-door visits by Booth Level Officers (BLOs).
The delegation, led by Union Ministers HD Kumaraswamy, Pralhad Joshi, V Somanna and Shobha Karandlaje, along with Leaders of Opposition in Karnataka Legislative Assembly and Council, R Ashoka and Chalavadi Narayaswamy, respectively, and others, met the Chief Election Commissioner in New Delhi.
They sought that central observers from other states be appointed to oversee the SIR exercise in every district to ensure it is conducted in a fair, transparent, and impartial manner. Further, they demanded strict legal and disciplinary action against officials and political functionaries found responsible for violating the prescribed procedures or facilitating the alleged irregularities.
In the memorandum they submitted, the NDA leaders said that officials entrusted with the job of conducting the SIR are showing zero regard for the approved process, thereby undermining the very spirit of democracy.
Under SIR guidelines, BLOs under the directives of the District Election Officer are required to conduct mandatory door-to-door verification and personally verify the identity of the members of each household, they said.
“However, this is not being followed on the ground, evidence of which has been shared on social media, while mainstream media has also carried several such instances, all of which are clearly in the public domain,’’ the memorandum read.
They alleged that enumeration forms were being filled at community halls, mosques, and the residences of BLOs. “WhatsApp groups have also been created for the same purpose, and people are being encouraged to visit these community halls and mosques for SIR. Such a practice is a breach of the established SIR guidelines and raises serious concerns regarding the neutrality of the electoral process,’’ it stated.
“BLOs are not informing the BLAs about the verification process and related activities, thereby reducing transparency. In several cases, persons having only a common surname are being treated as members of the same family without proper verification, which is likely to result in serious errors in the electoral rolls,’’ the memorandum added.
They also alleged that the Election Commission of India’s mandatory three-visit verification is not being followed in Karnataka. They claimed that nearly 72% of the exercise was completed within six days of its launch on June 30, raising doubts over compliance with ECI guidelines.
They also alleged that BLOs from a particular religion are being deployed in minority areas, raising concerns over the fairness and impartiality of the exercise.