"The special intensive revision (SIR) process of the electoral roll should be withdrawn. Also, the ballot paper system should be brought back," Lok Sabha DMK group leader T.R. Baalu and Rajya Sabha DMK group leader Tiruchi Siva jointly urged on Wednesday.
In this regard, they both told reporters in Delhi: At the DMK MPs’ meeting held on October 17, discussions were held regarding SIR and electoral irregularities. At that meeting, it was decided to seek a meeting with the President to demand the removal of the Chief Election Commissioner and the reintroduction of the ballot paper system, and time was requested for it. However, no time has been allotted yet to meet the President. Therefore, a request was sent to the President by email. Our wish is that the President should function in a manner that is accessible to everyone.
In Tamil Nadu, 97.36 lakh voters—that is, nearly one crore voters—have had their names removed from the electoral roll. In the very constituency where DMK leader M.K. Stalin contested, the names of one lakh voters were removed. Because of this, he was forced to miss out on victory by a margin of 7,000 votes. Similar incidents have taken place across the country.
The Chief Election Commissioner has taken this action without consulting the two Election Commissioners, who have powers equal to those of the Chief Election Commissioner, and without obtaining their approval. The other Election Commissioners themselves have expressed their dissatisfaction over this. They said the President should insist that this matter be properly taken up in Parliament.
Gyanesh Kumar issue: M.K. Stalin submits petition to the President
Our correspondent
DMK leader and former Tamil Nadu Chief Minister M.K. Stalin has sent a petition to President Droupadi Murmu, seeking action against Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar.
In that petition, it is requested that "under Section 86(2), Parliament should be recommended to take necessary action against the Chief Election Commissioner of India, Gyanesh Kumar, for engaging in illegal actions and unilateral, unconstitutional, and biased conduct, overriding the decisions of the other two Election Commissioners. The Special Intensive Revision (SIR) exercise of Tamil Nadu's electoral roll should be canceled."
It further alleges that, because of this action, 97.37 lakh names were wrongly removed from the state's electoral roll, and that genuine voters have lost their right to vote.
The petition seeks the Supreme Court’s opinion under Article 143 of the Constitution on the legal validity of deleting these voters’ names, and also asks it to direct the Election Commission of India to restore the lists from before the Special Intensive Revision while not using the lists after the Special Intensive Revision for future elections.
The petition also emphasizes demands for an independent audit of the Election Commission of India’s voter database and a return to paper ballot records.
