Bengaluru: Parties belonging to the INDIA alliance in Karnataka have decided to launch a coordinated campaign under the slogan ‘Save the Vote, Save the Nation’ to protect voting rights and raise concerns over the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls.
The decision was taken at a state-level meeting held at the Legislators’ Home on Friday, chaired by KPCC president B.K. Hariprasad. Leaders discussed alleged exclusions of eligible voters from electoral rolls and raised questions about the functioning of the Election Commission.
Hariprasad said the right to vote was fundamental to democracy and insisted that no eligible voter should be excluded from the electoral rolls. He demanded the cancellation of the SIR process, restoration of eligible voters’ names allegedly removed from the lists and the resignation of Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar.
He also alleged that around 13 crore voters had been dropped from electoral rolls across the country, calling for democratic forces to unite to safeguard voting rights.
Coordination committee to be formed
The meeting decided to establish a state-level coordination committee comprising representatives of the Congress, CPI, CPI(M), CPI(ML) Liberation, Samajwadi Party and Forward Bloc. The committee will prepare a roadmap for protests across Bengaluru and at district and taluk levels.
Alliance representatives are expected to participate in a protest scheduled for November 1 at Ramlila Maidan in New Delhi. A large rally is also planned in Bengaluru on November 5 to oppose the SIR process and demand the Chief Election Commissioner’s resignation.
Hariprasad said peaceful protest was a democratic right and that the campaign to protect the Constitution and voting rights would continue.
Leaders call for wider mobilisation
Participants called for farmers, workers, women, students, youth and progressive organisations to be brought into the campaign to build a broader public movement.
Those attending included AICC secretary Gopinath Palaniappan, CPI(M) state secretary K. Prakash, CPI state secretary Sathi Sundaresh and Samajwadi Party state president Manjappa Yadav.
The allegations concerning voter deletions and the demands raised at the meeting were statements made by alliance leaders.
