Can’t shirk SIR work: Yogi to BJP lawmakers

Lucknow Fivesome years before the extended numbering stage below the special intensive revision (SIR) of electoral rolls concludes in Uttar Pradesh on December 26, chief minister Yogi Adityanath on Sunday said elected representatives cannot shirk responsibility for the non-submission of SIR forms, while expressing concern over nearly 30 million missing names.He was speaking at a joint meeting of BJP MLAs and MPs at the Indira Gandhi Pratishthan, where the BJP held a workshop for the SIR’s second phase. Deputy chief ministers Keshav Prasad Maurya and Brajesh Pathak, state general secretary (organisation) Dharmpal Singh, and national general secretary Tarun Chugh were also present at the event. Adityanath told the legislators and MPs that the Samajwadi Party and Congress were taking the SIR exercise seriously and completing related tasks. “They are opposing SIR in public just for the sake of opposing it,” he said.“People have the misconception that they will lose rights over their property if their names are missing from the voter list in their villages,” the chief minister added.This misconception, he said, has led to voters shifting from urban to rural constituencies. He emphasised that there is no need to transfer names from urban to rural areas to contest panchayat elections, as a separate voter list exists for them.He asked elected representatives to identify sensitive booths in their constituencies and report them to the Election Commission of India (ECI).Warning party MPs and MLAs, Chugh said those unwilling to contest elections should inform CM Adityanath and state president Pankaj Chaudhary in advance, but must not “betray the party” by neglecting SIR work.“Those who complete the SIR work now will become MLAs and MPs for the next 20 years,” Chugh said.He cautioned that in constituencies where the victory margin in 2022 was between 100 and 500 votes, failure to prioritise SIR could cost them the next election.“If we don’t pay attention to such seats and voters’ names are removed, how will we win? Therefore, we need to secure our votes from now on,” he said.Adityanath presented a list of constituencies where SIR work was lagging. The data showed that deputy CM Pathak’s Lucknow Cantt constituency had a high number of shifted voters, while higher education minister Yogendra Upadhyay’s Agra South seat had many missing voters.Lucknow North, Lucknow South, Hardoi, Milkipur and Lakhimpur were also among the top 25 assembly constituencies with the most shifted, missing and deceased voters, the CM said.“Check the booth’s voter list to ensure that none of your voters have been incorrectly marked as shifted or deceased. Make sure a voter’s name is not excluded due to a minor issue,” he told the attendees.‘Names will be removed on objection’The CM said any suspicious name in the draft electoral roll should be objected to. Once an objection is filed, the BLO will remove the name, and it will only be reinstated after the concerned person submits an affidavit and supporting documents.Adityanath said that at booths with around 800 Muslim and 200 Hindu voters, the booth of Hindu voters should be changed as “our voters” often refrain from voting due to the large number of Muslim voters. He urged party workers to focus on Muslim-majority constituencies during the claims and objections process.He noted that 3–5% of elderly voters had been shown as deceased in Mankapur constituency of Gonda, which, he said, was “not possible”.State BJP president Pankaj Chaudhary on Sunday directed party MLAs, MPs and office-bearers to prioritise SIR work over all other activities.“Right now, everyone should focus on work related to the SIR. Meetings and greetings will take place only after the SIR work is completed,” he said.Chaudhary, who was the first to address the gathering, criticised the Opposition.“The Opposition is attacking us over the SIR issue. First they demanded a discussion, and we held one on electoral reforms. We don’t run away from discussions. After that, they also held a rally at Ramlila Maidan. They are never satisfied,” he said.He urged members to ensure that no eligible voter was left out and to add newly eligible voters to the list.Chaudhary also asked party workers to ensure the success of Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s rally in the state capital on December 25.“The BJP workers are always ready. All our workers will definitely make Prime Minister Modi’s rally a success,” he said.Several party MPs and MLAs skipped Sunday’s workshop, which had been extended to candidates who lost in the 2022 assembly polls as well.Those absent included Union minister Jitin Prasada, Fatehpur Sikri MP Rajkumar Chahar, Kanpur MP Ramesh Awasthi, Mathura MP Hema Malini, former Amethi MP Smriti Irani, former MP Sanjeev Balyan, MP Bhola Singh and MLA Dinesh Khatik.