Bhubaneswar, September 30 (Daily Kiran) : The Biju Janata Dal (BJD) has reiterated its demand for the removal of Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar amid rising concerns regarding the Special Intensive Review (SIR) process. Prasanna Acharya, a senior leader of the BJD and the deputy leader of the opposition in the Odisha Assembly, emphasized that the party’s stance on this issue has been clear from the start.
Speaking to a news agency, Acharya noted that BJD President and opposition leader Naveen Patnaik had made the party’s position on the SIR process explicit. He criticized the way the process is being managed under Kumar’s leadership, suggesting it has led to public skepticism.
During the SIR, some names are removed from the voter list while new ones are added. Acharya raised concerns about the transparency of this process, stating, “In a democracy, voters choose the government, but it now seems that the government is choosing the voters. If the ruling party does not want someone to be a voter, that individual cannot become one.”
He also questioned the operations of the Election Commission under Kumar, expressing that the current management raises concerns regarding democratic standards. Acharya highlighted the significant number of voters being removed under the SIR and reiterated the party’s objections to this practice.
Regarding the question of the INDIA alliance, Acharya clarified that the BJD is neither a part of the INDIA alliance nor the NDA. He stated that the party has maintained a long-standing policy of keeping a distance from both political coalitions, a stance that will continue.
Acharya concluded by reiterating that the manner in which the Election Commission has conducted the SIR has led to doubts among voters, and the BJD will persist in raising its objections on this matter.
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