CPI(M) Urges Steps to Prevent Voter Exclusion During Special Intensive Revision of Electoral Rolls

A delegation from the Dakshina Kannada unit of the Communist Party of India (Marxist) submitted a memorandum to Deputy Commissioner H. V. Darshan on Wednesday, urging the State government to take special measures to ensure that no citizen is left out of the electoral rolls during the upcoming Special Intensive Revision (SIR) being conducted by the Election Commission of India.

The SIR process is scheduled to begin in Karnataka on June 30. According to the CPI(M), the Election Commission is following a rigorous method of self‑certification of citizenship by voters for inclusion in the voter list, which the party described as “extremely difficult.” The memorandum stressed the need to safeguard every citizen’s voting right and urged the Chief Minister to intervene.

The party’s appeal called for simplifying the rules for obtaining requisite documents, especially for those unable to produce even one of the 11 documents prescribed by the Election Commission. It also demanded that such documents be made available expeditiously.

The CPI(M) maintained its in‑principle stance that the Election Commission lacks the authority to conduct the SIR under various provisions of the Representation of the People Act, 1950, and the Registration of Electors Rules, 1960. Despite this, the revision is proceeding.

The memorandum highlighted that many from weaker sections, including the poor, Dalits, Adivasis, minorities, and migrant workers, face the threat of exclusion from the voter list because of the SIR rules. The party pointed out that the Election Commission has implemented a “logical difference” criterion in Karnataka—a measure not applied in any other State except West Bengal. This criterion, the CPI(M) argued, could cause immense problems for voters due to spelling mistakes, age discrepancies between voters and their parents, inter‑caste and inter‑religious marriages, and even for survivors of child marriage.

In light of these concerns, the party petitioned for specific steps to protect voters’ rights. The delegation included District Committee members Sunil Kumar Bajal, Vasantha Achari, B. M. Bhat, Sukumar Thokkotu, Sadashiva Das, J. Balakrishna Shetty, and Yogish Jappinamogaru.