Former Health Minister and senior Congress leader Balbir Singh Sidhu has appealed to the youth, senior citizens and women of the Mohali constituency to actively participate in the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) campaign being conducted by the Election Commission of India and ensure the protection of their voting rights. Sidhu said that the right to vote is the greatest strength in a democracy.
Through the voter identity card, every citizen can safeguard their constitutional rights and elect representatives of their choice to Parliament, State Assemblies, Zila Parishads, Municipal Councils and other democratic institutions. Therefore, it is essential for every eligible citizen to verify and secure their voter registration.
He said that the objective of the SIR campaign is to ensure that the name of every eligible voter is correctly included in the electoral roll so that no eligible citizen is deprived of their right to vote. He further stated that incidents of large numbers of voters' names being deleted from electoral rolls have been reported in states such as Bihar, Karnataka, Maharashtra and Haryana.
To avoid such situations, every citizen should actively participate in this campaign. Appealing especially to the youth, Balbir Singh Sidhu said that despite being occupied with jobs, businesses or other responsibilities, they should spare some time to participate in the SIR campaign.
He said that a small act of negligence today could affect their voting rights in the future. Therefore, every young voter should verify their voter registration and encourage their family members and people around them to join the campaign so that no eligible voter is deprived of their democratic right.
Sidhu said that the mapping work under the SIR campaign in Mohali is still progressing at a slow pace. He appealed to the people of the constituency to participate in the campaign in large numbers, secure their voting rights and strengthen democracy.
He added that with this democratic strength, people can bring the Congress Party to power. He also urged residents to fully cooperate with the Booth Level Officers (BLOs) who are visiting homes to distribute and help fill enumeration forms, submit the required documents on time and ensure that every eligible member of their family is included in the electoral roll.
Sharing his personal mobile number, Sidhu said that anyone facing any difficulty related to the SIR campaign, the electoral roll or form filling may contact him directly at 9872671010. He assured that every possible assistance would be provided.
Concluding his appeal, Sidhu said that protecting one's vote is the responsibility of every conscientious citizen. Let us all come together to make the SIR campaign a success and strengthen our democratic rights.