Congress Approaches Election Commission Over SIR, Flags Risk Of Mass Voter Deletions In Chhattisgarh

Raipur: Political temperatures have once again risen in Chhattisgarh over the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) process of the voter list. The Congress has approached the Election Commission, expressing apprehensions that the names of thousands of tribals displaced due to Salwa Judum, migrant workers, Dalits, and minorities may be deleted from the electoral rolls.

A Congress delegation has demanded an extension of the claim–objection deadline and a special procedure for marginalised sections. Led by Shailesh Nitin Trivedi, a Congress delegation reached the office of the Chief Electoral Officer and submitted a memorandum. The delegation included former MLA Kuldeep Juneja, Raipur City Congress president Shivkumar Menon, former mayor Pramod Dubey, former mayor Ejaz Dhebar, and several senior leaders and office-bearers. The party urged the Election Commission to extend the timeline for filing claims and objections under the SIR process.

Shailesh Nitin Trivedi said the Congress has repeatedly raised concerns that tribals displaced due to Salwa Judum and forced to live in relief camps are still away from their native villages. As a result, lakhs of such people could not be included in the SIR process. He added that many Scheduled Caste, Other Backward Class, migrant workers, and daily-wage earners living in cities were also missed, as Booth Level Officers (BLOs) were unable to reach them during working hours.

Trivedi said the Congress had earlier demanded a special mechanism for deprived sections, but while the Election Commission forwarded the memorandum to district election officers, no concrete arrangements were implemented.

Trivedi accused the ruling BJP of running a campaign to remove the names of SC, ST, and minority voters using printed forms. He alleged that objections are being filed against these voters by declaring them shifted or deceased, calling it a conspiracy against democracy.

The Congress leader further alleged that new instructions issued by the Election Commission on the 13th have opened the door for deleting old names under the pretext of “logical errors.” He claimed that within two days of the order, lakhs of names have come under scrutiny and are being rapidly removed. Trivedi questioned how voters would be able to protect their names when deletions are happening just days before the claim–objection deadline on the 22.

The Congress also raised concerns that school examinations are currently underway, yet a large number of teachers have been deployed for SIR duties, which has affected studies. Trivedi said since there is no immediate election in Chhattisgarh, there is no need for haste, and the timeline should be sufficiently extended to ensure a fair and accurate voter list.

Trivedi pointed out that around 4,000 new polling booths have been created in the state, but neither BLOs nor BLAs have been appointed or trained there. He said completing the SIR process under such conditions is impractical and has cast doubts over the entire exercise.

The Congress has demanded an immediate extension of the claim–objection deadline, a special process for Salwa Judum–displaced tribals and migrant populations, and a halt to the deletion of names under the guise of “logical errors.”

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