Hyderabad: Hyderabad District Congress Committee President Syed Khalid Saifullah urged party workers to remain vigilant during the upcoming Voter roll revision. He also alleged that the Election Commission had failed to address concerns raised by the Congress regarding electoral irregularities.
Addressing a “Save Democracy” protest at Gandhi Bhavan on Saturday, Saifullah questioned the impartiality of the Election Commission. He cited the rejection of senior Congress leader Meenakshi Natarajan’s nomination as an example and alleged that officials acted on an unwarranted complaint.
Saifullah said the Congress had repeatedly raised concerns about electoral processes in different states. Referring to Maharashtra, he claimed that nearly 50 lakh voters were added to electoral rolls within a short period. He alleged that the Election Commission did not provide satisfactory explanations when the party sought clarification.
The Congress leader also referred to alleged irregularities in Haryana. He said Rahul Gandhi had highlighted cases in which multiple voter entries carried identical photographs. However, he alleged that the Election Commission did not adequately address those concerns.
In addition, Saifullah cited an incident in Karnataka’s Aland constituency. He alleged that misuse of dummy SIM cards led to the removal of names of Congress supporters from voter lists.
Voter roll revision raises Congress concerns
Saifullah also referred to West Bengal and claimed that authorities removed around 30 lakh voters from electoral rolls due to alleged anomalies. He said the Election Commission failed to clarify the matter despite repeated questions.
Furthermore, he alleged that senior Congress leaders, including K.C. Venugopal, sought a review of Meenakshi Natarajan’s nomination rejection. According to Saifullah, officials initially gave assurances but later took no corrective action.
The Congress leader said the protest aimed to safeguard democratic institutions and electoral transparency. Therefore, he urged booth-level agents, party workers and activists to closely monitor the electoral roll exercise.
He called on Congress cadres to work at the grassroots level and ensure that eligible voters are not excluded from voter lists. He also stressed the need to protect voting rights during the revision process.
Saifullah said safeguarding democracy and ensuring free and fair elections require collective effort and constant vigilance across all polling booths.
