BENGALURU: India bloc parties in Karnataka have decided to form a state-level coordination committee to spearhead a statewide agitation against the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls, alleging that the exercise could disenfranchise eligible voters.
The decision was taken at a state-level meeting of INDIA bloc constituents held at the Legislators’ House here on Friday. The parties also resolved to participate in a major protest at Ramlila Maidan in New Delhi on November 1 and intensify their agitation across Karnataka thereafter.
KPCC president B K Hariprasad announced the decisions in a post on X, stating that the parties had agreed to launch a united struggle to protect the Constitution, democracy and voting rights.
The meeting was attended by state leaders of the CPM, CPI, CPI(ML) Liberation, Samajwadi Party and Forward Bloc, along with Congress representatives. The leaders discussed strategies to mobilise public opinion against the SIR process and coordinate protests across the state.
The INDIA bloc constituents claimed that eligible voters were being excluded from electoral rolls in the guise of SIR and expressed concern that the exercise could undermine citizens’ voting rights.
Their key demands include scrapping the SIR process, reinstating eligible voters whose names have been deleted from electoral rolls and the resignation of Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar.
“The attempt to take away voting rights in the name of SIR must be resisted collectively. There is no question of tolerating any move to deprive eligible citizens of their right to vote,” Hariprasad said.
The proposed coordination committee will bring together the constituent parties to plan and organise protests and public awareness campaigns across Karnataka. The parties intend to extend the agitation beyond Bengaluru to district and taluk levels following the November 1 protest in New Delhi.