Congress Leader Raghuveera Reddy Flags SIR Concerns, Calls for Voter Protection

Former APCC president and Congress Working Committee member N. Raghuveera Reddy said there could be no compromise on protecting the right to vote and demanded that the Election Commission of India (ECI) provide clear answers to questions raised by Congress leader Rahul Gandhi over the electoral process.

Speaking at Andhra Ratna Bhavan in Vijayawada, Raghuveera Reddy said concerns surrounding the conduct of elections and the integrity of the electoral process needed to be addressed transparently. He referred to the 2024 Lok Sabha elections, noting that the BJP had campaigned with a target of winning 400 seats but eventually secured 240 seats. The Election Commission’s official results also show the BJP winning 240 Lok Sabha constituencies.

Raghuveera Reddy said allegations and doubts had surfaced over the possibility of electoral irregularities in certain Lok Sabha constituencies. He called for a transparent inquiry into such concerns, arguing that voters deserved clear information about the circumstances surrounding the electoral process.

He also raised concerns over the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls. According to him, apprehensions were growing that the exercise could result in the deletion of names of eligible voters. He urged the Election Commission to put safeguards in place so that no eligible citizen is deprived of their right to vote during the revision of electoral rolls.

The SIR exercise and the functioning of the Election Commission have become points of political disagreement, with opposition parties questioning aspects of the voter-list revision process. Raghuveera Reddy said the poll panel should respond to all questions raised about the electoral process and ensure that the exercise is conducted with complete transparency.

“The right to vote is the right of the people and not something granted at anyone’s discretion,” Raghuveera Reddy said, underlining the importance of protecting voters’ rights. He argued that the credibility of democracy depends significantly on ensuring that citizens can exercise their franchise without obstacles.

He demanded full protection of electoral rolls, greater transparency in the conduct of elections and satisfactory responses from the Election Commission to concerns raised by political parties and citizens.

Raghuveera Reddy further appealed for steps to reassure every eligible voter that their name would remain protected on the electoral rolls. He called on people to come together to protect democracy and safeguard voting rights, stressing that the integrity of the electoral process should remain a priority.