Bengaluru, Feb 17 (NationPress) As the elections for the Greater Bengaluru Authority (GBA) and local bodies approach, a team of Congress leaders, headed by Deputy Chief Minister D. K. Shivakumar, met with State Election Commissioner G.S. Sangreshi on Tuesday. They presented a memorandum requesting corrections to the mistakes identified in the voter list revision.

The delegation comprised Ministers Ramalinga Reddy and Dinesh Gundu Rao, former Congress MP D.K. Suresh, along with MLAs Rizwan Arshad and A.C. Srinivas, and MLCs Puttanna and Srinivas.

Later speaking to the press, Shivakumar, who also leads the state Congress, stated: "Today, alongside my party colleagues, I approached the State Election Commissioner. The State Election Commission is gearing up for elections to the upcoming GBA, municipal bodies, Zilla Panchayats, Taluk Panchayats, and Gram Panchayats. They have been updating the voter list in the state based on past voter rolls. However, numerous discrepancies persist even in the draft voter list recently released."

He continued, "Booth Level Officers (BLOs) have been making errors in the voter list. During the last elections, members from the same family were allocated to different booths. The mapping process has not been executed properly. Hence, the revision must involve political parties’ Booth Level Agents (BLAs) alongside the BLOs. Both voter lists and residential mappings need to be accurately represented. Mistakes made in specific constituencies and booths during the last election must be addressed. The revision has to be conducted legitimately and within legal parameters. Previously, deletion forms were filled out by individuals who were not the actual voters. All these issues need resolution, and we have submitted a memorandum requesting these amendments," he asserted.

Shivakumar added, "Elections for the Greater Bengaluru Authority (GBA), Zilla Panchayats, and Taluk Panchayats will soon take place. Immediate revision of the voter list is essential. If discrepancies are discovered later, it would tarnish the reputation of both the Commission and the government. As a precaution, we approached the Commissioner to discuss these concerns. We have made them aware of the discrepancies identified so far, such as shifting voters to different booths, illegal removal of minority and Scheduled Caste voters, and the inclusion of fraudulent votes. Those responsible for these irregularities must face suspension, and justice needs to be maintained for voters within the confines of the law," he remarked.

When asked if the State Election Commission would conduct an independent voter list revision, Shivakumar responded: "The State Election Commission has the jurisdiction to carry out a separate revision, and they are undertaking that task."

In response to a question about potential confusion arising from two revisions, he stated: "We won’t comment on that. The responsibility for conducting local body elections lies with the State Election Commission, and they are fulfilling their duties. The previous voter list is inaccurate. They should perform fresh mappings and prepare the voter list anew. Those eligible to vote must have their rightful voting privileges honored."

The SEC's decision to utilize ballot papers instead of electronic voting machines (EVMs) for all forthcoming local body elections has sparked significant political discourse, with the ruling Congress supporting the change as one that reinstates public confidence, while the BJP labeling it as "regressive."