Shinde Calls for Vigilance in Electoral Rolls Ahead of SIR Process

Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Eknath Shinde on Sunday asked his party workers to keep an eye on the electoral rolls ahead of the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) process in the state and ensure no fake voters and Bangladeshis find place in them. Addressing a rally here, Shinde, head of the Shiv Sena, also asked workers to work to strengthen the party organisation. “Keep an eye on electoral rolls. Ensure there are no bogus and Bangladeshis in voter rolls. They should not be allowed to be part of it and ensure genuine voters are not left out,” Shinde said. He further his party and the state government has responded to Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s appeal to cut down fuel consumption amid the West Asia crisis. “This is for national interest. Some people mock, level charges (after the PM’s appeal) but I want to tell them that we have to do the work of standing with the country when it is in trouble,” Shinde added. Shinde, who is also the Urban Development Minister, said Mumbai is the (country’s) economic capital and a global city. The government will do whatever it takes to make Mumbai what it should be, he asserted. “There is BMC but the state government will not be behind in this,” Shinde added. Telangana Chief Electoral Officer C Sudharsan Reddy, IAS, on Saturday, May 16, briefed the media on the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls to be carried out in the state, announcing that house-to-house enumeration will begin on June 25. Speaking at a press conference at the Conference Hall, BRKR Bhavan, Reddy outlined the detailed schedule and process for the exercise, which is part of Phase III of the nationwide SIR announced by the Election Commission of India on May 14, covering 16 states and three Union Territories. As per the schedule, Booth Level Officers (BLOs) will conduct house-to-house enumeration from June 25 to July 24. Each BLO is required to make at least three visits to every household. The draft electoral roll will be published on July 31, following which a period for filing claims and objections will remain open until August 30. (with inputs)