The Uttar Pradesh Congress has taken a significant step to address what it calls a "large-scale exclusion of voters" during the ongoing revision of electoral rolls in the state. Expressing deep concern, the party has constituted district-level committees across Uttar Pradesh to actively monitor the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) process.
Internal Estimates Spark Action
This decisive move was announced in an official statement on Friday by CP Rai, the chairman of the party's media department. The decision was driven by internal party estimates suggesting that a staggering 2.89 crore (28.9 million) votes are currently under scrutiny during the SIR exercise. The committees were formed on the direct instructions of UP Congress in-charge Avinash Pandey and with the approval of the state Congress president, Ajay Rai.
Role of the New Committees
The newly formed panels have a clear and critical mandate. They will operate in close coordination with the presidents of district and city Congress committees. Their primary responsibilities include:
- Guiding party workers on the ground.
- Conducting physical verification of names proposed for deletion from the voter lists.
- Ensuring no eligible citizen is wrongfully excluded from the electoral roll.
- Preventing the addition of any ineligible names to the lists.
Party sources indicated that these district committees will submit regular reports to the UP Congress Committee and will formally flag any alleged cases of wrongful deletions to the relevant election authorities.
Allegations of Voter Suppression and Targeting
UPCC President Ajay Rai issued a strong statement, emphasizing that the right to vote is the most powerful constitutional right guaranteed to Indian citizens. He leveled serious allegations, claiming that voter suppression tactics were employed in recent elections in states like Bihar, Madhya Pradesh, Maharashtra, and Haryana. Rai further alleged that the BJP and the Election Commission were acting in tandem.
Rai asserted that Congress workers in Uttar Pradesh would remain vigilant to assist voters, particularly those from economically weaker sections, Scheduled Castes, Other Backward Classes, and minority communities, in safeguarding their voting rights. He accused the system of selectively affecting these demographic groups during the revision process, thereby undermining the integrity of the electoral franchise.
The formation of these monitoring committees marks a proactive political strategy by the Congress party in Uttar Pradesh, setting the stage for heightened scrutiny of the electoral roll revision process ahead of future elections. The party's move underscores the escalating political tensions surrounding voter enrollment and the fundamental right to participate in democracy.
