CM Shivakumar seeks fresh S.I.R., demands CEC’s resignation

Chief Minister DK Shivakumar has called for the suspension of the current Special Intensive Revision (S.I.R.) of electoral rolls in Karnataka, demanding that the Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar resign due to disagreements within the three-member poll panel. These disagreements have raised doubts about the integrity of the revision process, with Election Commissioners Sukhbir Singh Sandhu and Vivek Joshi reportedly objecting to numerous decisions over the past ten months.

The Indian Express reported these disagreements, which covered changes to Form 6, access to electoral roll data, deletion and restoration of voters, and the filing of appeals. Shivakumar emphasized that the issue extends beyond disagreements within the commission, as it affects citizens' ability to retain their names on the electoral rolls and exercise their franchise.

He stated that the right to vote is fundamental to living, and Congress President Mallikarjun Kharge and Leader of the Opposition Rahul Gandhi have supported the voting rights of citizens. Shivakumar questioned how decisions could be made when two members of the commission objected to them, suggesting that the Chief Election Commissioner should step aside if dissenting views were being ignored.

He also argued that Karnataka's electoral rolls should be finalized before the revision process continues, citing concerns over over one crore names being removed from the rolls for various reasons. Shivakumar urged the resumption of the S.I.R. process, highlighting the need for a new SIR rather than continuing with the current one.

He emphasized that the matter should be discussed at length, including in Parliament, and linked the Karnataka dispute to similar concerns raised by the Congress over electoral roll revisions in other states like West Bengal, Bihar, and others.