Amid growing concerns over manipulation of electoral rolls in several states, CM Bhagwant Singh Mann on Saturday declared that the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) would not allow even a single genuine vote to be deleted in Punjab under the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) process.
Warning against any attempt to engineer “fake votes” in favour of a particular political party, CM Bhagwant Singh Mann asserted that AAP leaders and karyakartas would remain stationed alongside Booth Level Officers (BLOs) at every polling booth across Punjab to monitor the exercise and prevent any irregularity.
Referring to complaints from other states regarding deletion of lakhs of genuine votes and irregularities in the verification process, the Chief Minister said the people of Punjab would not permit such practices in the state and urged the Election Commission (EC) to carry out the entire SIR exercise with complete honesty, transparency and impartiality while ensuring that public objections are resolved without delay.
Interacting with the media, CM Bhagwant Singh Mann said, “The Special Intensive Revision of voter lists must be conducted with complete transparency, honesty, fairness and accountability so that every genuine voter can exercise their democratic right without fear or obstruction.
Representatives of all political parties will remain actively involved throughout the process to ensure that no irregularities take place anywhere in Punjab.” The Chief Minister noted, “Concerns raised in several states regarding deletion of genuine votes and inclusion of fake entries have created anxiety among citizens, making it imperative for the Election Commission to act with utmost responsibility and neutrality.
Complaints have surfaced from different states about lakhs of genuine votes being deleted and manipulation in the verification process, but the people of Punjab will not allow such practices to happen in the state.” “Democracy cannot survive if people begin to lose trust in the sanctity of electoral rolls and constitutional institutions responsible for conducting elections,” asserted CM Bhagwant Singh Mann.
“The Election Commission must ensure that every eligible voter is protected and every complaint raised by political parties is addressed honestly, transparently and without delay,” he added. Clarifying the AAP’s stand on revision of electoral rolls, CM Bhagwant Singh Mann said, “Names of deceased individuals or those who have permanently shifted abroad after acquiring foreign citizenship should naturally be removed from voter lists, but no genuine resident of Punjab should face harassment or denial of voting rights under any circumstances.”
The Chief Minister further revealed that nearly 83 percent voter mapping has already been completed in Punjab and urged citizens to actively participate in the verification process to safeguard their democratic rights. “The Election Commission must conduct the entire SIR exercise with complete honesty and impartiality while ensuring that objections raised by people are resolved immediately and fairly,” affirmed CM Bhagwant Singh Mann.