Bahutva Karnataka writes open letter to CM, demands measures to restore 'political health' of state
In a congratulatory message to the victorious party in Karnataka, Bahutva Karnataka, a civil society collective committed to justice, equality, communal harmony, and peace, emphasizes the need for immediate and long-term measures to restore the economic, social, cultural, and political health of the state. The collective highlights the disenchantment and disappointment of over 60% of the population with the policies and politics of the previous government, which caused distress and insecurity across various sections of society.
The recent elections witnessed significant participation from civil society organizations concerned about the impact of these policies on the vulnerable sections and democratic fabric of the state. The collective commends the party for raising awareness about large-scale corruption and emphasizes the importance of upholding constitutional commitments to justice, liberty, equality, and fraternity.
Bahutva Karnataka had previously released sector-specific report cards evaluating the performance of the previous government in areas such as education, healthcare, women's rights, minority rights, workers' rights, and governance. Drawing from these reports, the collective emphasizes the following urgent measures for the new government:
Justice:
Abolish anti-labor laws allowing 12-hour workdays and address grievances of various workforces.
Provide land rights to slum residents and make the 2015 socio-economic educational survey public for enhancing accessibility to education.
Strengthen action against gender-based violence, renew Santwana Kendras, and empower commissions for women and child rights.
Increase funding for preserving forest and marine ecosystems, reviewing environmentally sensitive projects.
Repeal anti-farmer laws and legalize Minimum Support Price.
Ensure transparency in government decisions and tackle the practice of manual scavenging.
Liberty of Thought and Expression:
Uphold civil society's right to dissent and revoke restrictions on protests.
Revoke anti-conversion laws and promote tolerance and unbiased engagement with citizens.
Conduct Panchayat and Municipal elections to facilitate local body functioning.
Equality of Opportunities to Education and Health:
Fill teaching and support staff positions in educational institutions.
Increase school enrollments, allocate funds for infrastructure, and restore mid-day meal schemes.
Formulate a State Education Policy based on consultations with experts, ensuring holistic knowledge and critical thinking.
Allocate resources for improving public health infrastructure and enhance welfare schemes like Indira Canteens and free public transport.
Fraternity:
Address untouchability and inequality, promote diversity, and strictly deal with violations of fraternity and dignity.
Strengthen human rights commissions and involve citizens in decision-making through gram sabhas and public consultations.
The collective also calls for the implementation of a pre-legislative consultation policy to ensure public participation in the lawmaking process. They express their commitment to holding the government accountable and urge continued engagement on issues impacting public interest.
As Karnataka seeks renewal under the new government, the implementation of these measures is seen as crucial to transforming the state into a more just, equitable, and harmonious entity.
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UP SIR: Over 84 lakh voters added in final list, total electorate rises to 13.39 crore
Lucknow (PTI): Uttar Pradesh's electorate grew by over 84 lakh to 13.39 crore after the completion of the Special Intensive Revision (SIR), according to the final voter list published on Friday.
Addressing a press conference at the Lok Bhawan Media Centre here, Uttar Pradesh's Chief Electoral Officer Navdeep Rinwa said the SIR exercise was conducted from October 27, 2025, to April 10, 2026, covering all 75 districts, 403 assembly constituencies and polling stations across the state.
He said the 166-day exercise was carried out with the contribution of 75 District Election Officers (DEOs), 403 Electoral Registration Officers (EROs), 12,758 Assistant EROs, 18,026 BLO supervisors and 1,77,516 Booth Level Officers (BLOs). In addition, 5,82,877 booth-level agents of recognised political parties and crores of voters extended cooperation.
Print, electronic and digital media also played a key role in awareness efforts, he added.
Rinwa said the draft electoral roll published on January 6, 2026, had a total of 12,55,56,025 voters, including 6.88 crore male voters, 5.67 crore female voters and 4,119 third gender voters.
The number of voters in the 18-19 age group stood at 3,33,981, while the gender ratio was 824 female voters per 1,000 male voters.
The final electoral roll published on April 10 shows the total number of voters at 13,39,84,792, he said.
Of these, male voters number 7,30,71,071 (around 54 per cent), female voters 6,09,09,525 (45.46 per cent) and third gender voters 4,206 (less than 0.01 per cent).
The number of voters in the 18-19 age group has risen to 17,63,360, accounting for 1.32 per cent of the total electorate. The gender ratio has also improved to 834 female voters per 1,000 male voters.
Comparing the draft and final rolls, Rinwa said the total increase in the number of voters is 84,28,767. This includes an increase of 42,27,902 male voters, 42,00,778 female voters and 87 third gender voters.
The 18-19 age group registered a rise of 14,29,379 voters, while the gender ratio improved by 10 points from 824 to 834, he said.
Among districts, Prayagraj recorded the highest increase in voters at 3,29,421, followed by Lucknow at 2,85,961, Bareilly at over 2,57,000, Ghaziabad at 2,43,666 and Jaunpur at 2,37,590.
The CEO said the successful completion of the revision exercise reflects coordinated efforts by election officials, political parties and voters across the state.
