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Karnataka Chief Minister DK Shivakumar on Thursday, September 24, demanded the resignation of Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar and called for the ongoing Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls to be scrapped and conducted afresh.
Shivakumar was reacting to a report that Election Commissioners Sukhbir Singh Sandhu and Vivek Joshi had formally objected at least 14 times over the past 10 months to decisions taken by the poll panel.
The report by The Indian Express said the objections related to issues including changes to Form 6, access to the electoral roll database, deletion and restoration of voters, and the filing of appeals in West Bengal. Sandhu and Joshi had, in some instances, reportedly described decisions as “unauthorised” and “illegal”.
Speaking to reporters in Bengaluru, Shivakumar said the reported differences within the three-member Election Commission raised questions about the conduct of the electoral roll revision.
“In the democratic system, two out of three members have expressed their disagreement. The right to vote, which is meant to protect every individual and their livelihood, has today been compromised,” he said.
Shivakumar alleged that the autonomy given to the Election Commission was being misused. He questioned whether decisions could be imposed when members of the Commission disagreed.
“When the [dissenting] voices are not accepted and the majority decision has not been upheld, [CEC] can't take decisions,” he said, calling on Gyanesh Kumar to step down.
The Chief Minister also sought an end to the current SIR exercise and demanded a fresh revision of the electoral rolls.
“We want a new SIR to be conducted. We want everyone to have their rights,” Shivakumar said, adding that the issue should be discussed at length, including in Parliament.
He said he had already sought more time from the Election Commission for the revision process and wanted Karnataka’s electoral rolls to be finalised before further action was taken.
“Let our voter list be finalised. After that, whatever way we have to raise our voice and fight on this issue, I will certainly continue to do so,” he said.
Shivakumar alleged that more than one crore names had been deleted from Karnataka’s electoral rolls for various reasons. He also questioned the use of Forms 6, 7, and 8 during the revision process, saying the exercise could particularly affect illiterate and disadvantaged citizens.
“The right to vote is the right to live. Congress President Mallikarjun Kharge and Leader of the Opposition Rahul Gandhi have raised their voices in defence of the voting rights of the people of the country,” he said.
Shivakumar alleged that attempts were being made to misuse the voting rights of ordinary citizens for political purposes and referred to similar concerns raised by the Congress over electoral roll revisions in West Bengal, Bihar, and other states.
“Similar attempts have been made in West Bengal, Bihar, and several other states. Now they are trying to do the same everywhere, including Karnataka,” he said.
The Chief Minister said the issue was not about protecting the electoral interests of the Congress or any other party, but about ensuring that every eligible citizen could exercise their franchise.
“We are not talking about Congress votes, BJP votes, or somebody else's votes. It is the right to vote for everyone, and it is the right to live,” he said.
The Election Commission rejected the suggestion that the reported objections indicate a split in the poll panel. It said that differences of opinion and observations are part of institutional deliberations and maintained that its orders over the past year were unanimous. ECI officials have also said that the Commission was unanimous in its decisions concerning the nationwide SIR.
Shivakumar said the reported disagreements should be examined on a wider platform and opposed what he described as pressure or intimidation of officials in different states in the name of the Election Commission.
“This is not merely a matter of opinion. It is a fundamental right. This is the voice of the common man,” he said.
“We want a fresh SIR to be conducted. Everyone should be given their rights. The situation must be reviewed comprehensively to ensure the right to every vote, and the electoral data must be re-examined,” Shivakumar said.
