SIR could derail Cong prospects if workers fail to stay vigilant: Siddaramaiah

Mysuru: Former chief minister Siddaramaiah on Saturday warned that the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls could end the political careers of many Congress candidates if party functionaries and workers fail to remain vigilant.Addressing a divisional-level Congress convention in Mysuru focused on the SIR exercise, Siddaramaiah said his own political career is nearing its end, but urged those with a future in politics to stay alert over the next month.He argued that the BJP has secured only 36% of the national vote, while 64% voted against it, and cautioned that the consequences would be severe if even 10% of those opposing votes were removed from the rolls. He asked Congress MLAs, leaders and workers to exercise “utmost vigilance” during the SIR period from June 30 to July 29, alleging that the country no longer has a constitutional

Election Commission

(EC).Siddaramaiah said electoral roll revisions have been conducted since the EC was established in 1950 and the first general election was held in 1952. However, he claimed the commission does not have the authority to delete eligible voters and must function strictly in accordance with the Constitution. Alleging “vote betrayal” in recent years, particularly after 2014, he accused the BJP of attempting to undermine voting rights.

Emphasising that every vote matters, he cited the example of AR Krishnamurthy, who lost an assembly election by a single vote two decades ago. He also referred to the Chamaraja constituency, where MLA Harish Gowda won by about 5,000 votes in 2023, warning that removal of voting rights of even a few thousand people could change electoral outcomes. He alleged that the BJP was targeting OBCs, Scheduled Castes, Scheduled Tribes and minorities through the SIR process.Highlighting close electoral margins, he said many candidates win by 1,000 to 5,000 votes, and deletion of 4,000 to 5,000 voters could make victory difficult.Siddaramaiah claimed that the SIR exercise was conducted scientifically in Keralam, preventing the BJP from gaining ground there, but alleged that the BJP benefited from similar exercises in West Bengal and other states. He also alleged that RSS founder Hedgewar had sent associates to Italy and Germany to study authoritarian regimes, fuelling an interest in dictatorship.KPCC president

BK Hariprasad

invoked the contributions of the Mysuru Wadiyars to social justice and called for a “second freedom struggle” to protect voting rights. He said voting is both a right and a weapon in the hands of the people, but alleged that the BJP is trying to take it away.District in-charge minister Yathindra Siddaramaiah was also present.