Mangaluru, September 26: AICC In-charge Secretary and MLC P.V. Mohan on Saturday leveled serious accusations against the central BJP government, claiming it is actively conspiring with the Election Commission to suppress young voters from electoral rolls. Speaking at a press conference in Mangaluru, Mr. Mohan asserted that the Election Commission is operating akin to a BJP political wing, deliberately complicating the voter registration process for the Gen Z demographic.
Mr. Mohan highlighted the complexity of Form-6, the application for new voter registration, alleging it has been made excessively intricate to deter new entrants. He further charged that the systematic removal of eligible names from voter lists using Form-7 is also a coordinated effort. These actions, he stated, constitute a broader conspiracy aimed at disenfranchising young voters ahead of crucial state elections, including the upcoming polls in Uttar Pradesh.
The Congress leader presented alarming statistics, claiming that approximately 13 crore eligible voters have been removed from lists across 30 states under the guise of Special Intensive Revision (SIR). In Karnataka alone, out of 5.54 crore total voters, the draft list saw 1.08 crore names omitted. Only 6 lakh of these were re-added after verification. In stark contrast, Kerala, which initially removed 24 lakh names, saw most re-included after booth-level officers conducted diligent house-to-house checks, leaving a difference of just 53,224 votes. Mr. Mohan questioned why Karnataka failed to re-add its one crore omitted voters.
Adding to his grave allegations, Mr. Mohan claimed that a private consulting firm, reportedly owned by a state BJP leader and responsible for managing BJP elections, has been granted direct access to the Election Commission's voter list and data. He urged an immediate investigation into this matter.
Mr. Mohan also directly challenged Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar. He stated that merely replacing Mr. Kumar if he resigns would not resolve the issue. Instead, Mr. Mohan demanded that Mr. Kumar reveal under whose pressure these alleged irregularities occurred, urging him to become an 'approver' and provide testimony. Failure to do so, he warned, would result in the public holding him accountable.
Several other Congress leaders, including Shashidhar Hegde, Mamatha Gatti, Shubhodaya Alva, Appi, Yogeesh Kumar, Shanthala Gatti, and T.K. Sudheer, were present at the press conference.
Image: varthabharati.in
📰 Source: Vartha Bharati DK