Punjab Congress flags concerns over special intensive revision of electoral rolls

The Punjab Congress on Friday flagged its concerns and apprehensions regarding the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls being carried out in the state.

A delegation of senior party leaders, led by Member of Parliament Amar Singh and comprising PCC General Secretary (Organisation) Capt Sandeep Sandhu and Gagandeep Singh, raised various issues during an all-party meeting convened by the Chief Electoral Officer (CEO), Punjab, here.

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Later briefing reporters, Dr Amar Singh and Capt Sandhu said they raised the issue of duplicate voters from other states who are registered in Punjab.

They said that voters from Bihar and Uttar Pradesh, where the SIR process has already been completed, need to be screened in Punjab’s electoral rolls.

The party leaders urged the CEO to take up the matter with the Election Commission of India (ECI), stating that duplicate voters from other states can only be cross-verified by the ECI.

The Congress leaders also raised concerns over 17 per cent of voters who have not yet been mapped. They said this amounts to around 34–35 lakh voters, who could lose their voting rights if immediate corrective measures are not taken.

The party also demanded an adequate “response time period” from the commission for remedial measures in case any voter’s name is deleted from the rolls.

They asked the commission to provide political parties with lists of deleted and newly added voters to ensure greater transparency.

The leaders further said the commission should ensure close coordination between Booth Level Officers (BLOs) and Booth Level Agents (BLAs) for smoother functioning.

The Congress leaders also emphasized that enumeration forms in Punjab should be made available in Punjabi and not only in English or Hindi.