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NEW DELHI: The Opposition connected Monday launched a scathing onslaught connected the Election Commission of India (ECI) aft it announced Phase 2 of the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls crossed 12 states and Union Territories, calling it a "vote theft" workout designed to payment the ruling BJP. Several leaders accused the canvass assemblage of acting nether authorities pressure, claiming that "in today's India, it's the authorities that chooses voters."Earlier, Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar announced that the 2nd signifier of SIR volition screen 51 crore voters and beryllium held betwixt November and February. "The 2nd signifier volition beryllium conducted successful 12 states and Union Territories. SIR volition guarantee nary eligible elector is near retired and nary ineligible elector is included successful canvass rolls," Kumar said.He added that the enumeration process volition statesman connected November 4, draught rolls volition beryllium published connected December 9, and last rolls volition beryllium retired by February 7, 2026.The 12 states and UTs covered nether Phase 2 see Andaman and Nicobar Islands, Lakshadweep, Chhattisgarh, Goa, Gujarat, Kerala, Madhya Pradesh, Puducherry, Rajasthan, Tamil Nadu, Uttar Pradesh, and West Bengal.Kumar besides clarified that Assam, which goes to polls successful 2026, volition person a abstracted SIR workout owed to chiseled citizenship provisions.
Congress accuses EC of ‘vote theft’
Reacting sharply, the Congress alleged that the ECI was moving successful collusion with Prime Minister Narendra Modi to manipulate elector rolls. In a station connected X, the enactment said, "The Election Commission is present acceptable to play the crippled of 'vote theft' successful 12 states. In the sanction of SIR, 6.9 cardinal votes were slashed successful Bihar. Now, crores of votes volition beryllium slashed crossed 12 states.”Calling the determination a "conspiracy against democracy," Congress alleged, "This is blatant 'vote theft,' which Narendra Modi and the Election Commission are carrying retired together." "The Election Commission should person been held accountable for these cases. Instead, it has go portion of the crippled of 'vote theft'," it added.
‘Govt present chooses voters’: Uddhav Thackeray
Shiv Sena (UBT) main Uddhav Thackeray went a measurement further, demanding ineligible enactment against the canvass body. "A lawsuit should beryllium registered against the Election Commissioner for the corrupt signifier of bogus voters," Thackeray said. "Voters elite authorities successful a democracy, but contiguous the authorities chooses voters," helium added.
‘Vote theft exposed successful Bihar’: Pawan Khera
Congress person Pawan Khera echoed akin criticism, questioning the transparency of the SIR process. "We inactive haven't received answers to questions related to the SIR conducted successful Bihar truthful far. The concern was specified that the Supreme Court had to measurement successful to rectify the SIR process," Khera said connected X.He alleged that the EC and the BJP were "working manus successful hand." "The intentions of the Election Commission and the BJP person been exposed to the full state done the SIR successful Bihar," helium said."Whenever SIR takes place, Election Commission officials sojourn each household, adding caller voters and removing those who request to beryllium deleted from the list. Following the revelation of 'vote theft' linked to Rahul Gandhi ji’s Aland Assembly, the SIT has reported that a centralised cognition was being carried retired to region names from the elector list.""Amid each these issues, the Election Commission’s behaviour of SIR is nether suspicion, and its intentions bash not look genuine.
Neither the absorption nor the voters are satisfied," helium added.
‘SIR is simply a conspiracy against democracy’: Stalin
Tamil Nadu Chief Minister and DMK President M.K. Stalin besides deed retired astatine the ECI for scheduling the SIR during the monsoon season. "To transportation retired Special Intensive Revision conscionable months earlier the election, and particularly during the monsoon months of November and December, brings superior applicable difficulties," helium said."To behaviour SIR successful a hasty and opaque mode is thing but a conspiracy by the ECI to rob citizens of their rights and assistance the BJP.
In Bihar, ample numbers of women, minorities and radical from SC and ST communities were removed from the electoral rolls, and the lack of transparency has fuelled superior suspicion successful the nationalist mind," helium stated. Stalin announced that an all-party gathering volition beryllium held connected November 2 successful Chennai to sermon the contented and determine connected the adjacent people of action."Following the announcement, we held discussions with our confederation partners, and connected that ground an each enactment gathering volition beryllium convened connected 2 November to determine the adjacent people of action.
The close to ballot is the instauration of democracy. Tamil Nadu volition combat against immoderate effort to execution it, and Tamil Nadu volition win," helium said.
'EC acting arsenic agent': AAP
AAP person Sanjay Singh told PTI that the Chief Election Commissioner was "acting arsenic an cause of BJP and PM Modi," alleging that "80 lakh votes were stolen from SIR successful Bihar.”
What quality did it marque successful Bihar?: Prashant Kishor
Jan Suraaj laminitis Prashant Kishor dismissed the determination arsenic politically motivated stating that, "SIR was done successful Bihar.
What quality did it make? Was anyone's sanction struck off? A fewer radical did look difficulties.""BJP tin effort each it wants, they mightiness privation to delete someone's name, scare idiosyncratic other and fuss someone. But if radical crook against you, bash immoderate SIR oregon FIR, determination volition beryllium cipher to prevention you," helium added.The EC earlier completed Phase 1 of the SIR successful Bihar, wherever the last database of 7.42 crore electors was published connected September 30. Polling successful Bihar volition instrumentality spot successful 2 phases — connected November 6 and November 11 — with counting connected November 14.
