Parties Demand Fairness in Madhya Pradesh Voter List Revision

Seven parties have filed a memorandum with Madhya Pradesh's Chief Electoral Officer seeking exclusion of RSS-affiliated employees from the voter list revision. Concerns about bias against minorities and procedural fairness were highlighted. Other demands include gender ratio accuracy and valid identification for married women.

Several political parties have raised significant concerns about potential biases in the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of Madhya Pradesh's electoral list. On Friday, they met with the state's Chief Electoral Officer, Sanjeev Kumar Jha, urging that government officials linked with the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) be excluded from the process.

The memorandum presented by parties such as the CPI, CPI(M), Samajwadi Party, among others, argued that the ideological leanings of RSS-associated employees might create disenfranchisement risks for minorities and socially disadvantaged groups. The document emphasized that every household address be verified and secured in the presence of party representatives.

The delegation also advocated for gender-sensitive measures, recommending valid identification protocols for recently married women and the inclusion of female Booth Level Officers to assist women voters. They highlighted that discrepancies in gender ratios like those seen in Bihar should not occur in Madhya Pradesh. The CEO pledged to address any discrimination complaints.

(With inputs from agencies.)