Karnataka Congress warns booth agents to guard against voter omission in electoral roll revision

Karnataka Pradesh Congress Committee (KPCC) president B.K. Hariprasad on Tuesday advised the party's Booth Level Agents (BLAs) to remain vigilant during the upcoming Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls by the Election Commission of India (ECI). He alleged that the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) are conspiring to deny voting rights to genuine electors.

Speaking at a divisional-level convention of Congress BLAs, Hariprasad claimed that in West Bengal, voting rights of 27 lakh people were suspended on suspicion during a previous SIR, while the victory margin between the BJP and the Trinamool Congress was about 37 lakh. He did not provide evidence for this claim.

Hariprasad said it was unfortunate that people who do not believe in democracy and the Constitution were ruling the country. He urged BLAs to visit every household with Booth Level Officers (BLOs) and help voters submit required documents. He also alleged that the BJP and RSS aim to build a Hindu Rashtra and would exclude voters from tribal, Dalit and minority communities.

Congress SIR Awareness State Committee president V.R. Sudarshan said protecting electors' rights strengthens democracy. He alleged that the BJP is misusing the ECI to exclude Congress voters. Former Chief Minister Siddaramaiah and Chief Minister D.K. Shivakumar have directed officials to ensure no genuine voter is omitted, he added.

Sudarshan advised that only those who can commit time should become BLAs. Health Minister U.T. Khader, MLC Manjunath Bhandary, Ivan D'Souza, and former Minister Vinay Kumar Sorake attended the event.