A senior Congress party official has raised serious concerns over the integrity of the voter revision process in Uttar Pradesh's Noida. Gurdeep Singh Sappal, a member of the Congress Working Committee, has publicly alleged that his name and those of his family members were inexplicably deleted from the draft electoral roll prepared under the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) exercise.
Allegations of Unjustified Deletion
In a detailed post on social media platform X, Sappal outlined his grievance on Tuesday. He asserted that his family's voter registrations were long-standing and legitimate. Their names were present on the 2003 electoral rolls, which serve as the base for the current SIR activity. Furthermore, he stated that all necessary documents mandated by the SIR guidelines had been duly submitted to the authorities.
To substantiate their residency and identity, Sappal listed a suite of official documents in their possession. "We also have passports, birth certificates, Aadhaar cards, matriculation certificates, bank accounts, property papers," he wrote, questioning the basis for the omission. He emphasized his public profile, noting his past service as Joint Secretary to the Vice President of India and in the Rajya Sabha Secretariat, along with his current political role and frequent television appearances.
The Official Reasoning and a Political Paradox
Sappal revealed a critical detail about the official explanation he received. He explained that his family had relocated from the Sahibabad assembly constituency to Noida. According to him, election officials informed him that the SIR framework lacks a provision to retain voters who have changed their residence. This technicality, he was told, led to the automatic deletion from the draft list for the new constituency.
Adding a layer of irony to the situation, Sappal pointed out that he was part of the Congress party's own delegation for the Special Intensive Revision work. This involvement makes the alleged deletion of his own family's names particularly striking and raises questions about the implementation of the process he was helping to oversee.
Seeking Answers and Accountability
Despite the serious nature of the allegations, which touch upon the fundamental democratic right of franchise, Sappal was unavailable for further clarification. He did not respond to repeated attempts by journalists via text messages and phone calls seeking his additional comments on the issue.
This incident has brought the spotlight back on the mechanics of voter list revisions, especially the SIR process. It highlights potential gaps that could disenfranchise legitimate voters, even those with substantial documentation and public standing. The case underscores the need for greater transparency and robust grievance redressal mechanisms in the lead-up to elections to ensure every eligible citizen is accounted for.
