BJP mocks opposition for misspelling 'loktantra' as 'loktantar' during protest in Parliament
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India Today
an hour ago
- India Today
Is Bengal headed for voter roll revision? A tell-tale sign on the ground
The Election Commission (EC) has uploaded electoral rolls from its last major Special Intensive Revision (SIR) exercise in West Bengal in 2002, marking a possible precursor to a fresh such process ahead of the assembly elections in the state next far, PDF downloads of electoral data are accessible for 103 of the 294 assembly constituencies spread over 11 districts—Cooch Behar, Jalpaiguri, Darjeeling, Uttar Dinajpur, Dakshin Dinajpur, Malda, Nadia, Howrah, Hooghly, Medinipur and Bankura; rolls from the remaining 191 constituencies are expected to be uploaded in the days to 2002 SIR rolls have been uploaded on the website of the chief electoral officer of West Bengal. Their release is being interpreted as groundwork for a fresh SIR, wherein citizens will be scrutinised based on that list. The last SIR in Bengal was conducted during Left Front rule. With delimitation in 2008 having restructured constituencies and polling booths, individuals must now trace which constituency and booth they belonged to back in 2002 in order to locate their names or their parents' enrolment minister Mamata Banerjee has warned that genuine voters risk being excluded under a process she equates with discrimination and unfair targeting. On July 28, she stated: 'We won't tolerate this in Bengal. The double-engine government is behind this conspiracy.' 'No one will have their names in the voters' list, despite having Aadhaar, EPICs (voter cards) and PAN... The list is decided from Gujarat. I love Gujaratis, but some agency in Gujarat is working as the BJP's agency,' she also expressed dismay over reports that around 1,000 booth-level officers (BLOs) from Bengal had been sent to New Delhi for training under the EC's directive—without state government knowledge. 'Why were we not aware of that training? The chief secretary should have been informed,' she said during an administrative meeting with district magistrates. 'Please inform the chief secretary and us. You are making decisions on your own,' she added chief electoral officer Manoj Kumar Agarwal clarified the position. 'If SIR takes place, the training will equip BLOs to carry out their responsibilities effectively. However, the decision rests entirely with the EC. SIR may take place in the future. BLO training is a regular activity of the EC, and SIR, like many other aspects, is in our training syllabus,' he training of BLOs has continued within the state from July 24 to 28, with around 900 officers undergoing induction at Kolkata's Mahajati Sadan, and others in districts including Malda, East Burdwan, Midnapore and Jalpaiguri. The office of the chief electoral officer has also summoned assistant returning officers from Moyna, Baruipur and Rajarhat to explain alleged inconsistencies and presence of fake voters in the SIR is a constitutional mechanism allowing the EC to conduct door-to-door enumeration at any time, with the aim of rebuilding the electoral rolls from the ground up—without reliance on the existing list—in a time-bound process. Similar exercises have been conducted in various states since the early 1950s. The SIR in Bihar, in the run-up to assembly polls this year, has blown up into a political SIR typically requires submission of new enumeration forms by all registered voters, along with documentary proof of date and place of birth for those enrolled after the prior SIR cut-off—often extended to include parents' voter IDs and birth certifications to establish Bengal's context, those registered before or during the 2002 SIR may not need modern documentation; later enrollees likely will. Given the substantial demographic change—Bengal's electorate has grown from 47 million in 2004 to around 76 million by early 2025—the EC will be expected to balance inclusivity with Congress (TMC) MP Sushmita Dev has argued that the current exercise exceeds the EC's mandate and encroaches upon citizenship verification, which is constitutionally the domain of the Union home ministry. Meanwhile, BJP leaders, including leader of the Opposition Suvendu Adhikari, have called for a Bihar-style SIR in Bengal, citing fears of illegal infiltration. Adhikari flagged a sudden surge of 70,000 new registrations and urged the exclusion of domicile certificates issued after July 25 in the review caution that burdensome documentation and changes in booth allocation could disenfranchise the elderly, migrants, seasonal labourers and residents of remote areas. Civil society commentators warn that requiring legacy documentation for those enrolled post-2002 may impose an undue hurdle, especially when the EC lacks statutory authority for citizenship the other hand, proponents argue that SIR helps cleanse electoral rolls of ineligible or duplicate registrations, safeguarding democratic legitimacy. The EC itself insists that the process is routine and anchored in citizens, locating their name in the uploaded SIR roll is now the first step. Once the list is fully online, individuals must identify their 2002 constituency and booth—information often irretrievable without local knowledge or family memory—so they can match names before the SIR scrutinises eligibility Bengal gears up for a comprehensive voter enumeration process, both the EC and political camps in the state face mounting pressure: the EC to deliver a transparent, inclusive SIR; the TMC to guard voters against unfair exclusion; and the BJP to push for rigorous cleansing of electoral lists. On way to the battle of 2026, all eyes are now on the uploads, hearings and final shape of Bengal's voter to India Today Magazine- Ends
Indian Express
2 hours ago
- Indian Express
Rahul Gandhi to protest against ‘electoral fraud' in Karnataka Lok Sabha polls, to submit memorandum in Bengaluru
Congress Lok Sabha MP and Leader of the Opposition Rahul Gandhi will on August 4 protest in Bengaluru against alleged irregularities that he said took place during the 2024 Lok Sabha polls in Karnataka, Home Minister G Parameshwara said on Wednesday. 'He (Gandhi) will meet Election Commission officials and submit a representation on August 4. The Karnataka Pradesh Congress Committee (KPCC) will organise events before he submits the memorandum,' the Karnataka minister told reporters. Last Thursday, Gandhi claimed he had '100 per cent proof' that the Election Commission 'allowed cheating' in a Lok Sabha constituency in Karnataka and that the elections were being 'stolen'. 'I am absolutely convinced that in constituency after constituency, this is the drama that is taking place. Thousands and thousands of new voters (were added),' he alleged. Gandhi made the remarks when the Opposition parties were protesting against the Election Commission's special intensive revision (SIR) of electoral rolls in poll-bound Bihar. Programme details of Gandhi are yet to be finalised, Parameshwara said, responding to a question on whether a padayatra would be held. 'KPCC president (D K Shivakumar) and Chief Minister (Siddaramaiah) are finalising it. As of now, Rahul Gandhi will address party workers at Freedom Park. After that, he will submit a memorandum to the Election Commission. This is the tentative programme,' he said. Noting that Gandhi had raised complaints about electoral malpractices, Parameshwara said there had been other complaints too. 'In many constituencies, local legislators have filed complaints,' he said. Siddaramaiah echoed Rahul Gandhi's views later and suggested that the Congress suffered a setback in the April 2024 polls 'due to the illegal manipulation of electoral rolls….' 'There is clear evidence that electoral malpractice took place in Karnataka. In constituencies across the state, there were complaints by our party workers that new voters were added suddenly and in a suspicious manner, while names of long-time voters were removed without justification,' the chief minister said. The chief minister also accused the BJP of misusing the Election Commission for the purpose.
Hindustan Times
2 hours ago
- Hindustan Times
‘My heart is with you': Priyanka Gandhi's message to Wayanad landslide survivors
Congress leader and Wayanad MP Priyanka Gandhi Vadra on Wednesday shared an open letter with her constituents on the first anniversary of the Chooralmala-Mundakkai landslides, assuring continued support to affected families as they rebuild their lives. Congress MP Priyanka Gandhi Vadra speaks in the Lok Sabha during the debate on Operation Sindoor, during the Monsoon Session of Parliament on Tuesday. (Sansad TV/ANI Grab) Posting the letter on X, Vadra said that though she is away on parliamentary duty, her thoughts remain with the people of Wayanad. 'Though I am away on parliamentary duty, my heart is right there with you,' she said. 'As we remember those we lost, may their memories bring peace and may your faith guide you forward. I stand with you, not just today, but always,' she added. She said while significant efforts had been made over the past year, challenges persist. 'Even with all the goodwill across political lines and the help that poured in from all parts of the nation, basic, systemic issues have slowed down the process of rehabilitation considerably.' She expressed solidarity with the community. 'My heartfelt prayers are with you and I stand right beside you in spirit as you mark this day with faith and remembrance.' Reflecting on her interactions with survivors during earlier visits, she said: 'Homes, lives and livelihoods destroyed, but the human spirit soaring in its dignity and resilience.' 'In your pain, you were a shining example to the whole nation—an example of love, brotherhood and everything good that humanity represents,' Vadra said in the letter. She acknowledged the determination shown by many in rebuilding their lives, while noting that some families still remain in distress. 'Many have overcome the devastation they faced by valiantly rebuilding their lives, but many remain in desolation. We must continue to do all that is in our power to provide them with support.' Addressing those who lost loved ones, she said, 'It is to them that you owe the hope of living a full life again, of being able to laugh and love and carry on the way they would have wished you to.' 'I will continue to do all I can to support you through your journey to rebuild your lives and I am deeply honoured that you have given me a chance to do so,' she concluded.
