E-Paper
‘89 lakh complaints ignored’: Congress demands that SIR be conducted again in Bihar
Senior party leader Pawan Khera accused Election Commission of ignoring nearly 89 lakh complaints submitted by its Booth Level Agents (BLAs).
The Congress party on Sunday intensified its criticism of the Election Commission and demanded that the Special Summary Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls in Bihar be conducted again.
Senior party leader Pawan Khera, while addressing a press conference in Patna, claimed widespread irregularities in the process and accused the poll panel of ignoring nearly 89 lakh complaints submitted by its Booth Level Agents (BLAs).
"Congress demands that SIR be conducted again, as 'large-scale irregularities' cast a doubt on EC's intention," Khera said while speaking at the press briefing in Bihar capital.
Congress filed 89 lakh complaints: Khera
Khera further claimed that a staggering 89 lakh complaints of irregularities, flagged by the party's Booth Level Agents (BLAs) in Bihar during the SIR, was ignored by the Election Commission.
“The EC keeps getting news planted through its sources that no complaints are coming from any political party. The truth is that the Congress submitted 89 lakh complaints pertaining to irregularities in the SIR to the EC,” he said.
Khera alleged that the EC told Congress workers that only individuals could file complaints and not political parties.
Bihar SIR controversy
The SIR exercise in Bihar has already come under fire from the Opposition after several parties in the INDIA bloc have approached the Supreme Court, warning that the current process could disenfranchise millions, particularly from marginalised communities, due to missing names and a lack of proper notice.
To protest Election Commission's Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls in Bihar, Congress MP Gandhi launched the Congress' 'Voter Adhikar Yatra' from Sasaram in Rohtas district on August 17.
The yatra, supported by all INDIA bloc constituents, will culminate in Patna on September 1.
Meanwhile, the Election Commission on Saturday said it has received as many as 1.98 lakh pleas from individuals to exclude names from the voters' list being prepared as part of the Special Intensive Revision of electoral rolls in Bihar.
On the other hand, nearly 30,000 pleas were received for inclusion of names, it said.
The draft electoral rolls were published on August 1 and will remain open for "claims and objections" by individuals and political parties till September 1.
