INDIA bloc leaders have listed six demands, including restoring ballot paper voting, using pre-SIR electoral rolls, ensuring transparency in revisions, protecting eligible voters, simplifying registration and strengthening Election Commission accountability.
Key constituents of the INDIA bloc met in the national capital on Wednesday to discuss a roadmap for nationwide protests over what they described as concerns surrounding the Election Commission’s approach to electoral roll revisions and the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) exercise.
Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge, addressing the meeting, outlined six demands that he said were shared by the parties in the opposition alliance. The demands focused on electoral rolls, voter protection, voting methods, registration of first-time voters and institutional accountability.
Kharge said India’s democratic system was founded on the principle of “one person, one vote, one value” and argued that the principle needed to be protected through greater transparency and accountability in the electoral process.
The first demand put forward by the Congress president was that pre-SIR electoral rolls should be used for future elections. He also called for complete transparency in every electoral roll revision, including constituency-wise and booth-wise details of additions, deletions and corrections.
The second demand sought a requirement for proper reasoning and an effective appeal mechanism before any eligible voter is removed from the electoral roll. The opposition alliance argued that voters should have an opportunity to challenge decisions affecting their registration status.
The third demand focused on protecting eligible voters from exclusion caused by administrative failures, inadequate documentation or lack of awareness. The INDIA bloc said measures should be put in place to ensure that eligible citizens are not left out of the electoral process because of procedural difficulties.
The fourth demand was a return to ballot paper voting instead of Electronic Voting Machines (EVMs). Kharge said the move would, in the bloc’s view, help ensure the purity and sanctity of voters’ choices.
The fifth demand called for a simple and accessible voter registration process for young citizens, particularly first-time voters. The parties said registration procedures should make it easier for eligible young people to participate in elections.
The sixth demand concerned institutional accountability and the Election Commission. Kharge said the electoral body should command confidence across the political spectrum and stressed the importance of transparency in maintaining public trust in democratic institutions.
During his address, Kharge also referred to allegations of “vote chori” raised by Congress leader Rahul Gandhi in connection with electoral processes in states including Haryana and Maharashtra. Kharge alleged that the Election Commission had not adequately addressed the concerns raised by the opposition. These allegations have been part of a broader political dispute over electoral rolls and election-related procedures.
The INDIA bloc parties reiterated their opposition to what they described as a lack of transparency in the SIR exercise. They said electoral processes should remain open to scrutiny and that eligible voters should not face exclusion without adequate safeguards.
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The alliance also maintained that the principle of one person, one vote, one value should remain central to the country’s electoral system. The meeting was aimed at coordinating the opposition parties’ next steps, including a proposed nationwide campaign centred on their concerns regarding electoral roll revisions and the functioning of the Election Commission.
