Bengaluru, Oct 1 (IANS) : Karnataka Deputy Chief Minister G. Parameshwara on Thursday said the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls was creating fresh confusion every day and that the Congress had already registered its objections over various issues concerning the voter list.
Speaking to reporters near his residence in Bengaluru, Parameshwara said several discrepancies had emerged during the SIR process, including issues related to the list of electors and notices being issued to voters.
“For several days now, there has been one confusion after another regarding the SIR process. There was confusion over the ASDDO list as well, with even living persons being included in the list of deceased voters. There have also been problems in issuing notices to voters,” he said.
He further raised concerns about the submission of Form 7 applications, saying it appeared that anyone could approach the Election Commission seeking the deletion of another person’s name from the electoral roll.
“Therefore, our party has already submitted a complaint opposing this process being conducted across the country. We will decide our next course of action based on how the developments unfold in the coming days,” Parameshwara said.
He said the Congress Working Committee had already held a meeting in Delhi on the issue and that the party had taken a decision regarding the removal of election commissioners. “We will decide our next steps based on the directions of our party leadership,” he said.
On the drought situation in Karnataka, Parameshwara said the date for an all-party delegation from the state to meet Prime Minister Narendra Modi had not yet been finalised. Chief Minister D.K. Shivakumar was awaiting a response from the Prime Minister’s Office, he said.
“Once the date is finalised, we will take an all-party delegation to meet the Prime Minister and explain the situation prevailing in the state,” he said.
Parameshwara said the Central drought assessment team visiting Karnataka would be provided with comprehensive information on the rainfall deficit and crop losses recorded in the state since June.
Although some parts of the state had received rainfall over the past one or two days, it would not provide significant relief to farmers, he said.
The Deputy Chief Minister also said he had met Union Minister and Tumakuru MP V. Somanna during his recent visit to Delhi and discussed the ongoing railway works connecting Tumakuru with Rayadurga and Davanagere.
“We discussed the ongoing railway work and the difficulties and obstacles that have arisen at certain places,” Parameshwara said.
