Karnataka gears up for first voter roll revision in 23 years, EC to launch drive by Sept 25
Bengaluru: After more than two decades, Karnataka is set to undergo a Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of its electoral rolls, with the Election Commission (EC) preparing to launch the drive by September 25, Deccan Herald reported on Thursday, citing sources.
The last SIR in the state was carried out in 2002. At the time, Karnataka had approximately 3.5 crore registered voters. That number is now estimated to have grown to around 5.5 crore.
The EC will notify the exact dates for the exercise, which has to be completed within three months once the notification is out.
The revision will be carried out in five phases, which include a crucial period for the hearing of claims and objections. According to the report, once Electoral Registration Officers (EROs) download pre-filled enrolment forms, Booth Level Officers (BLOs) will conduct door-to-door visits, distributing two copies of the forms to households.
During this exercise, all proceedings related to Forms 6 (new voters), Forms 7 (objections), and Form 8 (corrections) will be frozen. One copy of the enrolment form will be retained by the BLO, while the other, with an official acknowledgment, will remain with the applicant. Citizens will also have the option to complete the process digitally via the BLO App or the ECI Net portal.
The EC has reportedly held discussions with political parties and has sought their cooperation. Booth Level Agents (BLAs) from political parties, along with volunteers, will also be involved in the process.
EC sources reportedly said the principle behind the exercise is that “no eligible voter is left out, while no ineligible voter is included”.
However, concerns have been raised over documentation, particularly for senior citizens who may not possess all the required papers. In such cases, the matter will be escalated to the Electoral Registration Officer, with the District Electoral Officer (DEO) holding the final authority on inclusion decisions.
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PM Modi, myself don't have 'wife issue': Rahul Gandhi
New Delhi (PTI): In a friendly banter, Leader of Opposition Rahul Gandhi on Friday said that Prime Minister Narendra Modi and he didn’t have "the wife issue", as the Congress MP emphasised that everyone has learnt from women in their lives.
Participating in a debate in the Lok Sabha on the three bills introduced for amendments to the women's quota law and setting up a delimitation commission, Gandhi said women are a driving force in the national imagination and national perspective.
"All of us in this room have been influenced, taught, and have learnt a lot from women in our lives – from mothers, sisters, wives," Gandhi said.
"Of course, the prime minister and myself don't have the wife issue, so we don't get that input, but we have our mothers and sisters," he said while referring to Parliamentary Affairs Minister Kiren Rijiju's light-hearted remark that he got a scolding at home as he did not pen a poem for his wife like Union minister Arjun Ram Meghwal did.
Gandhi also lauded his sister and Congress MP Priyanka Gandhi's speech in the Lok Sabha on Thursday.
"Yesterday, I was watching my sister achieve in five minutes what I have not been able to do in 20 years of my political career – make Amit Shah Ji smile," Gandhi said to peals of laughter.
