New Delhi, October 3 (Daily Kiran) : Opposition leaders in New Delhi are rallying against the Election Commission’s recent voter list cleanup initiative, known as the Systematic Voter’s Registration (SVR). They argue that this process is detrimental to the country’s democracy. The demand for a halt to the SVR has intensified, alongside calls for the resignation of the Chief Election Commissioner.
Mallikarjun Kharge, president of the Congress party, stated that a meeting of the India Bloc brought together members from 20 allied parties, including legal expert Kapil Sibal. They unanimously agreed that the SVR is harmful, particularly affecting the names of the poor, less educated, laborers, and minority communities. Kharge questioned the fairness of elections if significant numbers of votes are removed from a polling booth.
He accused the government of misusing its power, which he claims adversely impacts the youth, the poor, Dalits, and marginalized groups. Wealthier individuals can navigate bureaucratic hurdles more easily, while the less fortunate often have to abandon their work to rectify issues.
Congress leader Gurjeet Singh Aujla emphasized that local party workers are vigilant to ensure no votes are deleted. He noted that Rahul Gandhi is passionately advocating for the rights of the people, promising to continue the fight in Punjab.
Malik Motasim Khan from Jamaat-e-Islami Hind described the SVR as a clear plot to remove voters’ names from the list. He highlighted that over 130 million names have allegedly been deleted, with reports from Karnataka indicating attempts to remove valid voters while including ineligible ones. He criticized the Supreme Court for supporting the initiative, calling it unfortunate.
Professor Mohammad Saleem Engineer raised concerns about the integrity of the SVR, pointing out that it began in Bihar under rushed circumstances just before elections, leading to numerous voter deletions. Similar actions have since spread to West Bengal and other states, with complaints from two election commissioners going unaddressed.
Rajkumar Bhati from the Samajwadi Party welcomed the public’s growing awareness and activism, particularly among youth, against government excesses. He viewed this as a hopeful sign for the future of democracy in the country.
Actor Prakash Raj questioned the necessity of the SVR, especially following the release of an updated voter list in 2025. He noted the lack of democratic process within the Election Commission and criticized its unresponsiveness to public inquiries.
Congress MP Kumari Selja labeled the SVR a serious challenge, reiterating that Rahul Gandhi has raised this issue. She accused Election Commission members of voicing objections to the SVR multiple times, only to be ignored, raising concerns about the undermining of democracy.
Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury, another Congress leader, insisted that the Election Commission should apologize to the public. He claimed that the Commission is beginning to change its stance under pressure from widespread protests that Rahul Gandhi initiated two years ago, which have since garnered support from other parties.
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