Cong appoints 17,281 BLAs in Jharkhand to prevent exclusion of eligible voters during SIR

Out of these, the party has appointed 17,281 BLAs. They have been trained with an aim to ensure no eligible voters are left out in the upcoming SIR of electoral rolls in the state, the Jharkhand Pradesh Congress president said.Kamlesh said the Election Commission is supposed to add new voters and remove the names of deceased people from the lists during the roll revision exercise.But eligible electors were also being deleted from the voter lists in other states.

Jharkhand Congress president Keshav Mahto Kamlesh on Tuesday said the party has appointed 17,281 booth-level agents to ensure that no eligible electors are excluded from the voter lists during the upcoming SIR exercise in the state.

He said the party welcomes the Special Intensive Revision of the electoral rolls, but opposes the way it is to be conducted.

''Approximately, there are 29,000 booths in Jharkhand. Out of these, the party has appointed 17,281 BLAs. They have been trained with an aim to ensure no eligible voters are left out in the upcoming SIR of electoral rolls in the state,'' the Jharkhand Pradesh Congress president said.

Kamlesh said the Election Commission is supposed to add new voters and remove the names of deceased people from the lists during the roll revision exercise.

''But eligible electors were also being deleted from the voter lists (in other states). Therefore, the appointed BLAs will remain vigilant and work in close coordination with booth-level officers during the exercise,'' he said.

Kamlesh alleged that the commission intends to ''remove the names of as many voters as possible'', and added that what happened in Bihar and West Bengal will not be allowed in Jharkhand.

Meanwhile, Jharkhand BJP president Aditya Sahu said the alleged restlessness and unease in the Congress show their ''hidden agenda to protect infiltrators and fake voters'' in the state.

He said that it (SIR) is a routine and constitutional process conducted by the Election Commission.

The public understands very well the ''real reason behind Congress' desperation and panic over SIR'', the BJP leader claimed.

''There is no need to say that the fake and ineligible voters in the state vote for which party. The SIR process will weed out fake voters and illegal settlers, who have been serving as the vote bank of the Congress. This worry has left Congress leaders rattled. They are making baseless statements,'' Sahu alleged.

The BJP leader claimed that the Congress is making the upcoming SIR exercise an issue to fulfil its hidden agenda.

''It is the same SIR about which Rahul Gandhi has continuously raised questions, but his party leader Shashi Tharoor has said that removing fake voters from the electoral rolls via the SIR process has benefited the Congress in Kerala,'' Sahu claimed.

He accused the Congress and its leaders of spreading ''confusion'' and misleading the people on the issue of SIR.

The SIR exercise will formally start on June 30. The draft electoral rolls will be published on August 5, while claims and objections can be filed till September 4.

Details of 2.64 crore electors in Jharkhand will be verified by BLOs, who will visit each voter's residence and collect information during the SIR process, an official said.

The final electoral rolls will be released on October 7.