Ranchi, September 8: Jharkhand Mukti Morcha (JMM) general secretary Vinod Kumar Pandey on Tuesday hit back at BJP state president Aditya Sahu over allegations concerning the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls, urging the opposition party to provide evidence of any irregularities to the Election Commission.
Pandey said the revision of electoral rolls is a constitutional process conducted under the supervision of the Election Commission and alleged that the BJP was attempting to give a political colour to the exercise.
He claimed that BJP booth-level agents and workers had themselves been caught allegedly indulging in irregularities during the SIR exercise in districts including Godda and Garhwa, and that FIRs had been registered in some of the cases.These allegations could not be independently verified from the information provided.
Pandey alleged that the BJP was raising the issue out of political frustration and attempting to create suspicion around a particular community.
He asked the BJP to clarify whether it was genuinely questioning the electoral process or seeking political advantage by creating confusion.”If the BJP has information about any irregularity, it should submit the evidence before the Election Commission and the concerned officials,” Pandey said.
He maintained that the addition or deletion of names from electoral rolls is governed by prescribed rules and documentary procedures. If discrepancies are detected, complaints can be submitted to the relevant election authorities for examination, he said.
Pandey also criticised statements concerning the Santhal Pargana region, arguing that discrepancies involving a voter’s name, age or address should not automatically be linked to allegations of illegal immigration.
He said that anyone attempting to secure voter registration using forged documents should face action under the law, but cautioned against placing an entire community under suspicion on the basis of individual cases.
The JMM leader further questioned the BJP over the status of the cases it has cited and asked whether the Election Commission or competent administrative authorities had reached any conclusions in those matters.
Pandey said allegations alone should not be treated as proof that an individual is ineligible to vote or that the electoral roll is incorrect.
He reiterated that the JMM supports transparency in the electoral process and the protection of voters’ rights. At the same time, he called for any genuine irregularities to be investigated impartially through the established legal and electoral mechanisms.
The remarks come amid a political debate in Jharkhand over the SIR exercise, with parties trading allegations over the accuracy of electoral rolls and the need to prevent wrongful inclusion or exclusion of voters.
