Voiced our concerns regarding SIR in Bihar: KT Rama Rao

News18

2 days ago

New Delhi [India], August 6 (ANI): Bharat Rashtra Samithi (BRS) Working President KT Rama Rao on Tuesday raised concerns over the ongoing voter list revision exercise, particularly in Bihar, during a meeting with the Election Commission in the national capital.Speaking to reporters after the meeting, KTR said he had a detailed discussion with the Chief Election Commissioner regarding what he called a 'serious intensive revision" of electoral rolls.He expressed apprehension over what he described as the 'opaqueness" of the process and urged the poll panel to ensure greater transparency.He said, 'We met the Election commissioner and his two election commissioners. We voiced our concerns regarding serious intensive revision happening in Bihar and to happen in the rest of the country. We have expressed our concerns over the opaqueness of the process followed."KTR added, 'The Election Commissioner has said that they are following the due process. We have requested him to follow a more transparent process by engaging and evolving." On Tuesday, The Bharat Rashtra Samithi (BRS) formally submitted a detailed representation to the Election Commission of India (ECI), urging the constitutional body to address critical concerns affecting electoral integrity and a level playing field, the party said in a release.BRS party delegation, headed by Party Working President KT Rama Rao, met the Election Commission on Tuesday in New Delhi upon the Commission's invitation for an interaction. Rajya Sabha members KR Suresh Reddy, Vaddiraju Ravichandra, former MP B Vinod Kumar, and senior leaders Balka Suman and RS Praveen Kumar were part of the delegation.The representation, submitted to the Chief Election Commissioner, highlights four major issues: The Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls underway in Bihar, the party's call for a return to paper ballots, the 'repeated misuse of identical free symbols that dilute the party's identity", and 'non-action" on past representations regarding violations of the Model Code of Conduct (MCC).BRS has voiced serious apprehensions over the 'untimely and targeted nature" of the ongoing SIR of electoral rolls in Bihar. The party termed the SIR exercise 'unwarranted, particularly with elections on the horizon", and cautioned that it could 'lead to large-scale voter deletions, especially among migrant and disadvantaged communities".BRS party observed that the 'disenfranchisement of migrant labour, who move across states for economic survival, is deeply concerning. Documents like Aadhaar and Voter ID must suffice for voter eligibility".BRS has called for a 'withdrawal" of the current SIR in Bihar, the institution of biannual, scientific, and transparent revision processes, the formation of booth-level all-party committees to verify deletions or modifications, and the prominent public display of voter rolls at regular intervals.The party warned that hasty revisions driven by unverified media narratives and partisan representations could undermine the universal franchise and the legitimacy of the voters' list.The party also expressed its concerns over the continued use of Electronic Voting Machines (EVMs), citing growing public distrust and international precedents.'The BRS Party would like to voice its serious concern about suspicions over the usage of Electronic Voting Machines. Several media report to this effect have surfaced over the last few years. Many political parties, activists and voters have also expressed their concerns about the usage of EVMs," the BRS mentioned in its letter.The BRS party reminded that the world's oldest democracy, the US, and mature democracies like the UK, Japan, and Germany do not use EVMs for national elections.Quoting the German Constitutional Court's 2009 judgment, the party emphasised the need for ordinary citizens to verify crucial steps of the election process without specialist knowledge.The BRS urged the ECI to consider reinstating paper ballots, starting with the upcoming Bihar Assembly Elections in November 2025, to restore public confidence in the democratic process.The party once again highlighted the persistent 'misuse" of free symbols that closely resemble its reserved election symbol – the Car. In particular, the party flagged eight free symbols – Camera, Chapati Roller, Dolli, Road Roller, Soap Dish, Television, Sewing Machine, and Ship – which, when displayed in small sizes on EVMs and ballot papers, are indistinguishable from the Car symbol, especially for illiterate and elderly voters.BRS said that in several past elections, including the 2019 Bhongir Lok Sabha election, 'the confusion caused by these symbols led to an abnormal diversion of votes meant for the BRS, helping rival or independent candidates."The party demanded the immediate withdrawal of these eight free symbols, permanent safeguards to protect the visual identity of State Recognised Parties, particularly in states where they are dominant players, and institutional parity in the protection offered to National and State parties alike.BRS also expressed disappointment over the lack of timely action on its earlier representations during the 2023 Assembly and 2024 Lok Sabha elections. These included abusive and derogatory statements by leaders of rival parties, disparities in the Commission's response to complaints filed by BRS versus those filed against it, and inaction on Model Code of Conduct violations, including misuse of social media, hate speech, and politicisation of government events.The party appealed for an urgent re-evaluation of all pending representations and sought assurance of impartial treatment from the ECI.'We believe that the strength of Indian democracy lies in ensuring equal electoral opportunity to all recognised political parties. As a State Recognised Party that has played a pivotal role in the formation and governance of Telangana, we seek the institutional protection and fairness constitutionally due to us," the BRS noted. (ANI)