Bengaluru, 24 May

Deputy Chief Minister DK Shivakumar voiced strong opposition to upcoming the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls, alleging that poor voters across the country were at risk of losing their voting rights.

“Once they lose their voting rights, how will they be recognised in any way? Tomorrow it could affect pensions, the five guarantee schemes, housing, sites, land — they could lose everything,” he said while speaking to reporters in the City on Sunday.

Warning against linking welfare benefits with electoral exclusion, he added, “Tomorrow morning, if all those schemes disappear -- rice through ration cards, Gruha Lakshmi money, Gruha Jyothi benefits -- what will they say? The moment they are told they have no vote, their benefits will also be taken away.”

“Because of SIR, a lot of harm is happening in this country,” the KPCC President added. “Poor people still do not fully understand this process. In some states, they are removing 50 lakh, 60 lakh, even 90 lakh names like this.”

Shivakumar noted that migrant workers and elderly voters were especially vulnerable to exclusion. “Poor old people, what would they know? They may be working somewhere else. Nowadays, people have migrated everywhere, to Goa, Mumbai, Bengaluru and other places”.

DKS said governments must help citizens obtain the required documents and ensure no eligible voter is excluded, and added that political parties were mobilising booth-level workers to spread awareness and help voters retain their franchise.