<p>Bengaluru: The ruling Congress launched a coordinated initiative to build a large volunteer network to work alongside the Election Commission during the proposed Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls, amid concerns over voter deletions.</p>.<p>Over 10 organisations, including ‘Eddelu Karnataka’ and Eedina.com joined hands with Congress to support voter mapping and documentation.</p>.<p>“We identified block-level agents (BLAs) 1 and 2 for all 224 Assembly constituencies and are onboarding volunteers to assist in the SIR process. A 150-member war room in Bengaluru (Lalbagh Road) will build a 5,000-strong volunteer base besides our BLAs, guarantee committee and block committee members. Dr H V Vasu (of Eedina.com) will train BLAs on how to face SIR,” said KPCC working president and Rajya Sabha member G C Chandrashekhar.</p>.Panel moots cooling centres, work breaks to combat heatwaves in Karnataka.<p>During the voter mapping, the Congress plans parallel outreach through volunteers to counsel families, assist in filing forms 7 and 8, and ensure submission with proper documentation and acknowledgement to minimise risks of deletion or omission.</p>.<p>“SIR, across 12 states, has led to deletion of 6.5 crore voters. Karnataka should not suffer massive deletions,” Chandrashekhar said.</p>.<p>With reports of block-level officers (BLOs) independently carrying out mapping, Congress has asked its BLAs to accompany them.</p>.<p>Around 40 district-level SIR monitoring committees will hold press meets, while legal teams will issue notices to deputy commissioners if norms are violated.</p>.<p>“Helpdesks across 15,000 polling stations with a ‘Save Your Vote’ banner will assist citizens. The chief minister and KPCC chief will hold a press meet prior to SIR,” he added.</p>.<p>Congress MLC Nasir Ahmed, addressing an anti-SIR protest said, “Deletion of 91 lakh names in West Bengal disproportionately affected Dalit, minorities and OBC. It’s a BJP ploy to remain in power. First, they tried ‘votechori’. Now, it is SIR, to remove at least 10% of Opposition party voters,” he said, adding mosques too would work for better outreach.</p>.<p>Noor Sridhar, president of Eddelu Karnataka, said all those opposing a “hasty implementation” of SIR, had come together to train BLAs, monitor BLOs, educate voters and engage with the Election Commission to safeguard voting rights.</p>
<p>Bengaluru: The ruling Congress launched a coordinated initiative to build a large volunteer network to work alongside the Election Commission during the proposed Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls, amid concerns over voter deletions.</p>.<p>Over 10 organisations, including ‘Eddelu Karnataka’ and Eedina.com joined hands with Congress to support voter mapping and documentation.</p>.<p>“We identified block-level agents (BLAs) 1 and 2 for all 224 Assembly constituencies and are onboarding volunteers to assist in the SIR process. A 150-member war room in Bengaluru (Lalbagh Road) will build a 5,000-strong volunteer base besides our BLAs, guarantee committee and block committee members. Dr H V Vasu (of Eedina.com) will train BLAs on how to face SIR,” said KPCC working president and Rajya Sabha member G C Chandrashekhar.</p>.Panel moots cooling centres, work breaks to combat heatwaves in Karnataka.<p>During the voter mapping, the Congress plans parallel outreach through volunteers to counsel families, assist in filing forms 7 and 8, and ensure submission with proper documentation and acknowledgement to minimise risks of deletion or omission.</p>.<p>“SIR, across 12 states, has led to deletion of 6.5 crore voters. Karnataka should not suffer massive deletions,” Chandrashekhar said.</p>.<p>With reports of block-level officers (BLOs) independently carrying out mapping, Congress has asked its BLAs to accompany them.</p>.<p>Around 40 district-level SIR monitoring committees will hold press meets, while legal teams will issue notices to deputy commissioners if norms are violated.</p>.<p>“Helpdesks across 15,000 polling stations with a ‘Save Your Vote’ banner will assist citizens. The chief minister and KPCC chief will hold a press meet prior to SIR,” he added.</p>.<p>Congress MLC Nasir Ahmed, addressing an anti-SIR protest said, “Deletion of 91 lakh names in West Bengal disproportionately affected Dalit, minorities and OBC. It’s a BJP ploy to remain in power. First, they tried ‘votechori’. Now, it is SIR, to remove at least 10% of Opposition party voters,” he said, adding mosques too would work for better outreach.</p>.<p>Noor Sridhar, president of Eddelu Karnataka, said all those opposing a “hasty implementation” of SIR, had come together to train BLAs, monitor BLOs, educate voters and engage with the Election Commission to safeguard voting rights.</p>
