Mumbai, Oct 19 A Congress delegation met Maharashtra Chief Electoral Officer (CEO) S Chockalingam on Monday and raised concerns over the SIR process, alleging that it was cumbersome and causing inconvenience to citizens, while potentially excluding eligible voters.
Speaking to reporters after the meeting, Mumbai Congress president Varsha Gaikwad alleged irregularities in the Special Intensive Revision of electoral rolls and demanded strict action against those deliberately deleting the names of specific voters to benefit the ruling party.
Gaikwad said the Congress has submitted “evidence” of alleged irregularities and that Chockalingam had assured the delegation that strict action would be taken against those found deliberately deleting voters’ names to benefit the ruling party.
She said several complaints had been received regarding Forms 6, 7 and 8 during the SIR exercise, alleging that booth-level officers (BLOs) were not functioning properly.
The Lok Sabha member further said the SIR process had raised questions about the impartiality of the Election Commission and urged the authorities to ensure that no eligible voter was deprived of the right to vote.
According to Gaikwad, the CEO also assured the delegation that the Election Commission would issue a notification on the issue.
The Congress delegation sought an extension of the SIR deadline, saying sufficient time should be provided to voters to respond to objections.
“Why is there such a hurry to complete the SIR process when there are no elections in Maharashtra until 2029?” Gaikwad asked.
The delegation included former ministers Aslam Shaikh and Naseem Khan, MLA Amin Patel, MLA Jyoti Gaikwad and other party functionaries.
(PTI News)
