Opposition parties discuss 40 points during meeting with Maharashtra CEO ahead of SIR

A delegation of Maha Vikas Aghadi leaders met with Maharashtra's Chief Electoral Officer to discuss procedural concerns over the upcoming Special Intensive Revision of electoral rolls.

A delegation of Maha Vikas Aghadi leaders on Wednesday raised procedural concerns regarding the upcoming SIR of electoral rolls in Maharashtra and the issue of bogus and double voters during a meeting with the state Chief Electoral Officer.

Addressing a joint press conference here, Aaditya Thackeray (Shiv Sena-UBT), Sachin Sawant (Congress), and Shashikant Shinde (NCP-SP) termed the meeting with Maharashtra CEO S. Chockalingam positive.

Thackeray said the delegation discussed more than 40 points in the meeting.

''The meeting was positive, but we are looking at the way the process will be implemented because the SIR was used to win polls in West Bengal and Bihar,'' Thackeray said.

Special Intensive Revision is an exercise undertaken by the Election Commission of India to verify and revise electoral rolls through house-to-house enumeration, pre-filled forms, and verification of old voter data.

The delegation also asked about the issue of 17 lakh double voters and bogus electors raised by the MVA and the Shiv Sena (UBT) before the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation polls held earlier this year.

Thackeray claimed most of the ''dual voters'' are Marathi people.

He said the three parties in MVA will actively help people during the SIR process, beginning next month, and adjudication of cases. The MVA parties will also do a door-to-door mapping during the process.

He demanded that the poll body come up with software to identify anomalies in the voters' rolls.

There are some aspects that are not under the purview of the Maharashtra CEO, and the MVA leaders will approach the Election Commission of India to raise the issues.

Sawant claimed 52,000 Booth Level Agents of the BJP have already been appointed, adding that an atmosphere of fear and confusion is being created over the process, which is being used as a tool to win polls.

He said the three parties are actively coordinating with each other for the process.

NCP (SP's) Shinde said there should be no pressure on the Booth Level Agents whenever SIR is conducted.