Senior Congress leader P. Chidambaram on Wednesday reiterated the Congress Working Committee’s demands over the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls. He said the Congress had found several issues in the voter list revision process and wanted steps to protect the names and voting rights of affected voters.The issue was discussed at the Congress Working Committee (CWC) meeting in New Delhi. The party has raised concerns about names removed from electoral rolls and has asked for changes in the SIR process.Key HighlightsP. Chidambaram repeated the Congress CWC’s demands on SIR.Congress has sought restoration of names removed from voter lists.The party has called for greater transparency in electoral roll changes.The CWC has also demanded suspension of the SIR exercise.Congress Raises Concerns Over SIRThe Special Intensive Revision is a process to check and update electoral rolls. The Congress has raised concerns about the way names have been removed from voter lists during the exercise.The party says voters whose names were removed should be informed and given a proper chance to raise objections. Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge also called for complete information on major changes made to electoral rolls to be made public.The CWC has sought the restoration of around 13.3 crore names that the party says were removed from electoral rolls during the SIR process. It has also called for the immediate suspension of SIR.“They (ECI) have removed them (voters). That is wrong. Those names should have been included.”Chidambaram had earlier made this point while speaking about voter deletions, saying that removed voters should have remained on the electoral rolls. He also said that it was necessary to establish any link between voter deletions and election results rather than making such a claim without proof.Focus on Deleted Voter NamesThe Congress says the restoration of deleted voter names is one of its key demands. The party has also asked for more transparency in the process used to update electoral rolls.The CWC has raised questions about the availability of voter data and the process followed when names are removed. It wants voters to get information about any deletion and a chance to appeal.The Election Commission has said that its electoral roll work follows legal procedures. It has also initiated a review of voter-roll software after concerns were reported about changes in the system.SIR Debate ContinuesThe SIR issue has become a major point of discussion between the Congress and the Election Commission. The CWC has decided to continue raising the issue through political and legal channels.For voters, the main concern is whether their names remain correctly listed on the electoral rolls. The debate also highlights the need for clear information about changes in voter lists.Chidambaram’s latest statement shows that the Congress plans to continue pressing its demands on SIR and the restoration of deleted voter names. The Election Commission’s review and future decisions on the voter-roll process will remain important for the next stage of the issue.
