PNS
RANCHI
The Jharkhand Congress on Monday raised several concerns regarding the ongoing Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of the electoral rolls during a meeting convened by the Chief Electoral Officer (CEO) with representatives of recognised political parties. The Congress delegation comprised State General Secretary Suryakant Shukla and State General Secretary-cum-Media Coordinator Lal Kishore Nath Shahdeo.
Addressing the media after the meeting, Suryakant Shukla said the party highlighted issues related to the voter mapping exercise in the Hazaribagh Sadar Assembly constituency, particularly in areas falling under the Municipal Corporation. He alleged that Booth Level Officers (BLOs) were not accepting the names of maternal grandparents during the mapping process, claiming they had received no such instructions from the Deputy Commissioner’s office.
According to Shukla, the Chief Electoral Officer clarified that voter mapping can indeed be carried out using the names of maternal grandparents wherever applicable. The CEO also sought a list of polling stations where such issues were reported so that necessary directions could be issued directly to the concerned BLOs to resolve the matter.
Lal Kishore Nath Shahdeo said a crucial meeting between government-appointed BLOs and Booth Level Agents (BLA-2) of political parties is scheduled for Tuesday. The discussions will focus on identifying voters falling under the ASDD category, which includes electors with duplicate entries, deceased voters, those who have permanently shifted to another location, persons whose whereabouts are unknown, individuals who have acquired foreign citizenship, and non-citizens residing in India.
He said that following the deliberations, a final decision on deletion or correction of such entries in the electoral rolls is expected to be taken on July 22.
The Congress leaders also reiterated their demand for extending the timeline of the Special Intensive Revision by 15 days if the exercise cannot be completed within the stipulated period. They argued that the extension is necessary to ensure that no genuine and eligible voter is left out of the electoral rolls due to procedural haste.
Appealing to the public, Shahdeo urged voters who have not yet received their enumeration forms or whose voter mapping has not been completed to visit their respective polling booths on Tuesday and meet the concerned BLOs. He said voters should report their grievances promptly so that necessary corrections can be made before the revision process concludes.
