Bhopal, Oct 25 The Congress will scrutinise the Election Commission’s ongoing exercise to enrol eligible voters in Madhya Pradesh, following its mega rally in Delhi on November 1, senior party leader Balasaheb Thorat said on Sunday.
The party will organise ‘jan choupals’ (outreach programme) in villages and reach every polling booth across the state to check the process of receiving Form 6 applications for inclusion of names in electoral rolls, he said.
Amid Opposition demands for Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar’s resignation over alleged irregularities in the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls, the Election Commission issued instructions on October 1 for a special voter enrolment drive, which was subsequently launched in Madhya Pradesh.
The Congress has launched a “Vote Bachao, Desh Bachao” campaign, which is not limited to the party but is a fight to protect democracy and citizens’ voting rights, said Thorat, a Congress Working Committee member and campaign in-charge for MP.
He said the party would hold a mega rally at Delhi’s Ramlila Maidan on November 1 against alleged “vote chori” to raise issues concerning the integrity of electoral rolls, transparency in the election process and accountability of democratic institutions.
Thorat accused the ruling BJP of using every possible means to remain in power since the Narendra Modi-led government took charge at the Centre in 2014.
He also raised objections to the selection process of Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar and the legal protection granted to election commissioners.
Transparency, fairness and accountability in the electoral process are essential for democracy, said the former Maharashtra revenue minister.
Referring to concerns over SIR in Bihar and West Bengal, he said any apprehension of irregularities in electoral rolls should be taken seriously, and the voting rights of every eligible citizen must be protected.
Thorat said Congress leader Rahul Gandhi had been consistently raising the issue of alleged vote theft. Active citizen participation is essential to strengthen democracy, and protecting voting rights was the responsibility of every citizen, not just political parties, he said.
The process of receiving Form 6 applications for inclusion of names in electoral rolls is currently underway.
Form 6 is the prescribed application for Indian citizens seeking registration as new voters. Applicants must be aged 18 or above on a qualifying date and ordinarily resident in the constituency where they seek enrolment, according to the Election Commission.
Booth Level Officers (BLOs) are collecting applications across the state in accordance with the Commission’s directions. The Commission has also organised camps across MP to facilitate Form 6 submissions and help eligible citizens get their names included in electoral rolls, according to officials.
The form can be submitted online through the Commission’s voter services portal or offline to the Electoral Registration Officer, Assistant Electoral Registration Officer or the BLO concerned.
(PTI News)
