Chidambaram questions SIR deletions, seeks restoration of 13.30 crore voter names

• Chidambaram backs the CWC’s demands to suspend SIR, restore deleted names and seek the CEC’s resignation

• He questions the grounds for deletions and cites successful appeals in West Bengal

• INDIA bloc leaders are scheduled to meet on Wednesday to discuss the electoral roll controversy and a joint strategy

Senior Congress leader P. Chidambaram on Wednesday questioned the scale and grounds of voter deletions under the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls, reiterating his party’s demand to restore 13.30 crore names that it says were removed.

Backing the resolution adopted by the Congress Working Committee (CWC) on Tuesday, Chidambaram also called for the resignation of chief election commissioner Gyanesh Kumar and suspension of the revision exercise.

He criticised the BJP’s response to the resolution and its defence of Kumar, describing both as “pathetic”.

Chidambaram said there was no dispute over removing deceased voters from electoral rolls, but questioned deletions linked to difficulties in filling Form 6, voters being unavailable at their recorded addresses or entries flagged for “logical discrepancy”.

He argued that deceased voters’ names could be removed through the routine annual revision rather than the SIR exercise.

The former Union minister asked the BJP to explain his claim that names representing 14 per cent of India’s adult population had been removed from electoral rolls across 20 states.

He also cited appeals against deletions in West Bengal, saying judges had allowed 91 per cent of them and restored the affected voters’ names. He asked the BJP to account for that outcome.

Referring to a question raised by Anjali Bhargava of the National Campaign for People’s Right to Information, Chidambaram asked where the file recording the original decision to undertake SIR was.

He said several questions remained unanswered and predicted that scrutiny of the exercise would expose further problems in the coming weeks or months.

His statement came ahead of an INDIA bloc meeting scheduled for Wednesday, where Congress leaders are expected to present the concerns and demands discussed by the CWC.

The Opposition alliance is expected to discuss the Election Commission controversy and consider a common political strategy. The talks come amid continuing differences among its constituent parties over coordination and their approach to the BJP.

With IANS inputs