BENGALURU: Union Minister and Bengaluru North MP Shobha Karandlaje has urged the Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) to investigate the alleged irregularities in the conduct of SIR in the state. In a letter to the Election Commission of India (ECI), she demanded that the ECI enforce strict adherence to the prescribed SIR exercise and deploy independent observers to oversee it in the state.
She said instead of the mandatory door-to-door verification by Booth Level Officers (BLOs), the exercise is being conducted by gathering people at community halls and other places, defeating the very purpose of SIR.
A day after Union Minister HD Kumaraswamy released videos of the alleged irregularities in the SIR exercise in Ramanagara, BJP leaders, including Karandlaje and Leader of Opposition in the Legislative Assembly R Ashoka, released photographs and videos of the exercise done at Yeshwantpur, Chamarajpet, Malleswaram, Govindarajanagar and other assembly constituencies in Bengaluru.
According to them, such irregularities are happening across the state.
Karandlaje alleged that the ruling Congress is diluting SIR by conducting camp-based verification instead of visits to houses to include ineligible voters.
Stating that the ECI is the sole constitutional authority to revise electoral rolls, she alleged that the Karnataka State Election Commission’s (KSEC) separate exercise will create confusion, duplication and inconsistencies in the voters’ list. Citing a recent Supreme Court judgment upholding the ECI’s authority over SIR, she sought immediate directions to halt the parallel exercise in the state and ensure that only the ECI finalised electoral rolls are used for local body elections.
She also urged the ECI to immediately halt the parallel SIR being conducted by the KSEC in 27 wards of GBA. When a statewide SIR exercise is on, a parallel revision by the KSEC will create confusion among voters.
The ruling Congress is conducting the exercise just to please party leader Rahul Gandhi, she alleged.
Karandlaje claimed that the Congress government is attempting to enrol Bangladeshi immigrants and other ineligible people in the voters’ list. Birth and residence certificates are being issued illegally to help to include ineligible people in the voters’ list.
HDK demands fresh SIR
Union Minister HD Kumaraswamy has urged the ECI to conduct a fresh SIR in the state in view of the alleged irregularities in the exercise. “I will meet the ECI officials in New Delhi soon and urge them to take action against officials, including Ramanagara (Bengaluru South) deputy commissioner,’’ he said.
Forms being filled in mosques: Pralhad Joshi
Union Minister Pralhad Joshi has alleged that enumeration forms are being filled in mosques at Shiggaon, Savanur, Hubli and Dharwad. In a press release issued on Friday, he said this is a matter of serious concern and sought a thorough probe into the alleged irregularities in the exercise.
He alleged that such irregularities are happening with the support of the ruling Congress. Referring to the exercise at booth No 16 in Ward 63 of Hubballi-Dharwad East Assembly constituency, Joshi claimed that the local BLO, Mary Ramachandra Harapanahalli, filled enumeration forms sitting in one place instead of visiting houses.
