INDIA bloc to discuss SIR, voting rights at Karnataka meeting

CH NEWS BENGALURU Opposition parties in Karnataka will meet on Friday to discuss concerns over electoral roll revisions, alleged voter deletions and coordinated efforts to safeguard voting rights. The INDIA alliance will hold a state-level meeting in Bengaluru on October 16 to discuss its campaign against the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls and strengthen coordination among its constituent parties, the Karnataka Pradesh Congress Committee (KPCC) said on Thursday. The meeting will be held under the leadership of state Congress president B K Hariprasad. Leaders of the CPI(M), CPI, CPI(ML) Liberation, All India Forward Bloc and Samajwadi Party, among others, are expected to participate, according to a KPCC press release. Allegations that eligible voters’ names could be deleted from electoral rolls and concerns about the functioning of the Election Commission are expected to feature prominently in the discussions. The alliance will also consider joint political and legal action, along with public awareness programmes to inform citizens about electoral processes and voting rights. Coordination between constituent parties at the state, district and grassroots levels will be another key agenda item. The meeting is intended to bring opposition parties together on a common approach to the revision exercise and related concerns over electoral transparency. The KPCC said the discussions would focus on strengthening coordination among alliance partners and developing collective initiatives to safeguard voting rights. The meeting comes amid political debate over electoral roll revision and demands for transparency in the process. The alliance’s discussions are expected to shape its proposed campaign and coordination efforts across Karnataka.