- UP electoral roll revision sparks controversy over voter deletions.
- CM Yogi claimed 12.7 million Hindu voters removed.
- Opposition alleges irregularities, questions deletion exercise motives.
- BJP launches campaign to re-register omitted eligible voters.
The Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls in Uttar Pradesh has triggered a fresh political controversy, with Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath claiming that the names of 12.7 million Hindu voters have been deleted from the voter list. The remark has put the BJP on the defensive, even as the Opposition continues to demand the resignation of Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) Gyanesh Kumar and the withdrawal of the SIR exercise.
With the Uttar Pradesh Assembly elections approaching, the issue has become a political flashpoint. The Opposition has seized on the Chief Minister’s claim to question the voter revision exercise, while the BJP has decided to launch a month-long campaign to ensure that eligible voters whose names have been left out are added to the electoral rolls.
Samajwadi Party chief Akhilesh Yadav has also questioned how a sitting Chief Minister could claim that so many Hindu voters’ names had been deleted. Meanwhile, the Congress has accused Union Home Minister Amit Shah of being responsible for the alleged deletions and questioned whether the BJP wanted to lose the election.
‘We’ve Been Saying This For Months’: Pawan Khera
Congress Rajya Sabha MP Pawan Khera took a swipe at the BJP over Yogi Adityanath’s remarks, saying the party had been warning about voter deletions during SIR exercises across the country.
“He’s saying this today. We’ve been saying for months that wherever SIRs are being conducted across the country, votes are being removed. Now, if his voters or someone who knows such a person has their names removed, he should ask why Amit Shah is removing their names. Does he want to lose?”
Akhilesh Yadav Questions Yogi’s Claim
The Samajwadi Party has stepped up its criticism of the voter revision exercise in Uttar Pradesh. Addressing a press conference, Akhilesh Yadav alleged large-scale irregularities in the SSR process being carried out in the state following the SIR.
He thanked PDA guards, party leaders and workers for protecting voters’ names and sharing information about the process.
“I thank all the PDA guards, leaders, and workers. They protected their votes and shared information from time to time. The BJP, its affiliated organizations, and the Election Commission and its technical support team did their best to remove large numbers of votes. We were successful in protecting our votes.”
Questioning the Chief Minister’s claim, Yadav said it could be an attempt to create fear and gain political mileage.
“The Chief Minister has claimed that 17.7 million Hindu votes have been cut. I believe this is part of a deep conspiracy to spread fear in society and gain political mileage. A Chief Minister who takes an oath of office can never say that he has lost the votes of 12.7 million Hindus. How would he know? If we were to say the same thing, they would say that 90 percent of the PDA’s votes were cut.”
BJP Launches Month-Long Campaign To Help Voters
The BJP has decided to reach out to voters whose names may have been left out of the electoral rolls and help them get registered. State BJP president Pankaj Chaudhary said the SIR exercise was not a new process and that people had been given a month’s time to get their names added.
He said the primary objective was to ensure that no eligible voter was deprived of the right to vote.
Chaudhary maintained that the exercise was the Election Commission’s responsibility, not that of the BJP. However, he said party workers had a duty to help ensure that every eligible Indian citizen could exercise their voting rights. The party will, therefore, run a month-long campaign to assist voters.
Party Workers To Visit Voters’ Homes: Brajesh Pathak
Uttar Pradesh Deputy Chief Minister Brajesh Pathak said district presidents would also participate in the crucial BJP meeting on the SIR exercise in the state.
He said party workers would visit voters’ homes to assist the Election Commission with the registration process and help people get their names included in the electoral rolls.
Over 3.3 Crore Voters’ Names Deleted In UP
The political row comes amid reports that the names of 33.8 million voters were deleted during the Panchayat and local body election process in Uttar Pradesh. The SSR exercise is currently underway in the state following the SIR.
The reported deletions have triggered a political storm, with Opposition parties intensifying their criticism and the BJP also reviewing the situation as it prepares to reach out to voters.
Disclaimer : This story is auto aggregated by a computer programme and has not been created or edited by DOWNTHENEWS. Publisher: abplive.com
