Ahead of the Election Commission of India’s Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls in Karnataka starting Tuesday, State Home Minister Priyank Kharge emphasized the need for the ECI to address Congress’ raised concerns before proceeding. Kharge mentioned that the state government would consult with Chief Minister D.K. Shivakumar to decide on the next steps after reviewing the Election Commission’s response.
The Election Commission has readied itself for the Special Intensive Revision exercise in Karnataka, including a door-to-door verification drive from June 29 to July 29. Karnataka Chief Electoral Officer V. Anbu Kumar is set to hold a press conference in Bengaluru regarding the exercise today (June 29).
Simultaneously, the Congress party in Karnataka has launched an awareness campaign, urging its workers to stay vigilant during the voter list revision process. Kharge stated that Congress had submitted written objections to the Chief Election Commissioner, highlighting several issues related to the exercise.
The concerns raised by Congress include queries about ‘logical discrepancy,’ the basis for voter removal from the electoral roll, and the process for deleting a voter’s name. Kharge stressed the importance of not disenfranchising voters due to minor errors in their details and emphasized the need for clarifications from the Election Commission.
Kharge clarified that while the Congress supports the revision of electoral rolls, they seek answers to their questions before the exercise begins. He also expressed worries about the reported use of artificial intelligence in the revision process and questioned the transparency and accountability of such technologies.
