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Tumkur (Karnataka) [भारत]July 5 (ANI): Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) Karnataka MLA GB Jyoti Ganesh on Sunday expressed serious concern over the Special Intensive Review (SIR) drive being conducted in Karnataka by the Election Commission of India (ECI). He said officials at the ground level were not following the instructions of the apex election body properly.

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The MLA has alleged that Congress leaders are 'pressuring' Booth Level Officers (BLOs) to include ineligible persons in the voter list to increase the party's vote share.

BJP MLA made serious allegations against Congress

Speaking to ANI, the BJP leader claimed that the campaign, which started on June 30, is being diverted from its original objective to benefit a particular vote share. He said people are being asked to gather at religious places for the count, adding, "Complaints have come from many places that some BLOs and government officials are gathering huge crowds, especially minority crowds in mosques, open spaces... I think they are doing this based on the instructions of the Congress party. They are not working as per the instructions given by the Election Commission of India... Every Indian citizen should have the right to vote."

According to the BJP leader, BLOs should go door-to-door for this exercise. He further said, "The Election Commission of India has started SIR in Karnataka from June 30. Booth Level Officers (BLOs) were to go door-to-door in each booth and paste a sticker on the door of the house to guarantee that they have submitted the counting form."

Saying that "anti-nationals and illegal immigrants" should not be given the right to vote, he accused the state's Congress-led government of "pressurizing" the BLOs into nominating some ineligible people. He said, "We do not want anti-nationals, people from outside the country and illegal immigrants to be given the right to vote... I think the Congress government in Karnataka is instigating and pressurizing these BLOs to nominate illegal immigrants so that their vote share can increase."

Kumaraswamy also attacked, demanded cancellation of the process

Meanwhile, Union Minister HD Kumaraswamy on Saturday launched a scathing attack on the Karnataka government, alleging large-scale irregularities in the ongoing Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of voter lists. The JD(S) leader accused the state administration of "misusing" the machinery to manipulate the voter list and demanded immediate cancellation of the current practice.

Kumaraswamy alleged that the SIR exercise in various constituencies, including Yeshwantpur and Ramanagara, was being carried out under direct political influence rather than following the guidelines of the Election Commission of India (ECI).

Questions raised on the silence of Congress President and Home Minister

Kumaraswamy also launched a scathing attack on KPCC President BK Hariprasad and Home Minister Priyank Kharge for maintaining silence on the issue. Speaking to the media at his residence here, the Union minister said, "Poor man. I don't know where the KPCC president has disappeared to. Despite all this commotion, he is nowhere to be seen. He comments on almost every issue, every day. The state home minister also issues statements on almost everything. Shouldn't he speak about the irregularities in the SIR process? People who lecture everyone on discipline and restraint should definitely say something on this too."

Kumaraswamy said, "He is always at the forefront in preaching to others. The issue of SIR has become a topic of discussion in the entire state. I am surprised by the silence of both the Home Minister and the KPCC President."

Kumaraswamy urged the ECI to cancel the entire SIR conducted so far in Karnataka and appoint a competent officer from outside the state to oversee a fresh SIR exercise. "Voter list revision in Karnataka is witnessing irregularities on an unprecedented scale. The state government is misusing the entire administrative machinery to facilitate this," he alleged.

He further alleged that the exercise "has no credibility left", and said, "There is no credibility left in the voter list revision exercise being conducted in Karnataka. We have already lodged a complaint with the State Election Commission and have also sent a complaint to the Election Commission of India. The state election officials have said that they will act as per the instructions received from the Commission. Our party has a clear demand that the entire revision exercise conducted so far should be cancelled."

Kumaraswamy has said that he will go to Delhi on Monday (July 6) to lodge an official complaint with the ECI. Kumaraswamy said, "I will go to New Delhi on Monday. We will meet the Election Commissioner and lodge a formal complaint. We will place before the Commission the details of the irregularities that happened here. We will urge the Election Commission to immediately stop the entire process done so far in Karnataka and conduct the SIR exercise afresh." (ANI)