Thiruvananthapuram, Jan 28 (NationPress) - V.D. Satheesan, the Leader of the Opposition in the Kerala Assembly, urged for the immediate retraction of notices sent to approximately 18 lakh voters, summoning them for hearings as part of the ongoing Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls. He cautioned that this process was leading to significant public distress.

During a press briefing held in the Assembly media room, Satheesan pointed out that individuals were facing harassment due to “logical discrepancies” linked to minor differences in names and initials, many of which are a result of errors in the Election Commission’s software.

“Individuals should not suffer due to technical faults within the system,” he asserted, emphasizing that Booth Level Officers (BLOs) should proactively visit residences to amend inaccuracies rather than repeatedly summoning voters.

He called for a complete withdrawal of notices generated by the BLO app that compelled voters to attend hearings, noting that although the Election Commission had previously suggested this approach, it was not being uniformly enforced.

The Opposition leader expressed serious concerns regarding the alleged misuse of Form 7, which is designated for removing names from the voter list.

He demanded strict measures against those submitting Form 7 with false information and against BLOs who accept such requests without adequate verification.

“No voter should be removed from the electoral rolls without prior notification,” he stated, alleging that such removals were happening more frequently in the districts of North Kerala.

Satheesan warned that the SIR initiative effectively serves as a citizenship verification process, placing an increased responsibility on political parties to act judiciously.

He accused the misuse of Form 7 as a tactic to target voters affiliated with opposing political factions.

Furthermore, the LoP highlighted procedural shortcomings affecting expatriate voters, noting that the Election Commission’s website still lacks an option for overseas-born citizens to indicate their birthplace while submitting Form 6A applications.

This issue, he stated, impacts lakhs of expatriates and requires immediate attention and deadline extensions.

Satheesan revealed that complaints have been lodged with District Collectors across all districts and mentioned that the Opposition intends to initiate discussions between the Election Commission and political party representatives to urgently address these matters.