Union Minister Ramdas Athawale responded to Congress MP Shashi Tharoor’s claims regarding the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) process impacting election results in West Bengal and Kerala. Athawale stated that the SIR process aimed to eliminate deceased voters’ names and identify duplicate entries in electoral rolls.
Athawale emphasized that the SIR process was essential to address irregularities, including removing deceased individuals’ names and identifying multiple entries for one person. He highlighted instances of voter registration discrepancies at certain addresses, necessitating verification procedures.
The Minister clarified that the SIR was conducted for administrative purposes and refuted allegations of manipulation. He attributed the BJP’s success in the elections to Prime Minister Modi’s leadership and the party’s appeal, dismissing claims of corruption in the process.
Congress MP Shashi Tharoor earlier mentioned that approximately 91 lakh names were removed from the voter list during the SIR process, with around 34 lakh individuals appealing as genuine voters. Tharoor raised concerns about the adjudication of these appeals, noting that many cases remained unresolved during the voting period.
