MVA must form SIR task force: Rais Shaikh

Mumbai: A day after the Election Commission (EC) announced the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls in Maharashtra, Samajwadi Party MLA Rais Shaikh on Friday urged Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) leaders to immediately constitute a state-level task force to monitor the process and prevent a repeat of the large-scale voter exclusion witnessed in West Bengal, which led to the Trinamool Congress’s huge defeat.In a letter addressed to state Congress president Harshvardhan Sapkal, Shiv Sena (UBT) MP Sanjay Raut, and NCP (SP) state president Shashikant Shinde, Shaikh said the opposition alliance must set up a task force to guide voters, train booth-level agents (BLAs), and coordinate with the Election Commission during the revision exercise.“The SIR process in Bihar and West Bengal led to large-scale voter exclusions, particularly among tribals, Dalits, minorities, and other vulnerable groups. Nearly 68 lakh voters in Bihar and 91 lakh in West Bengal were left out during similar exercises. Maharashtra could face a comparable situation if opposition parties fail to act in time,” warned Shaikh.“In the recent West Bengal Assembly elections, constituencies where up to 25,000 names were deleted from the electoral rolls witnessed a significant electoral impact. The BJP won 95 such seats, while the Trinamool Congress secured 51, leading to the TMC’s defeat,” Shaikh added.Shaikh further said that, as part of the SIR exercise, booth-level officers (BLOs) will visit voters’ homes between June 30 and July 29. “Voters will need assistance in understanding documentation requirements, procedures for adding new voters, and the process for filing objections. Parties in the INDIA bloc are already conducting camps and training programmes related to the SIR exercise. A joint task force is needed to train BLAs of all parties and coordinate with the state Chief Electoral Officer and the Election Commission,” Shaikh said.Shaikh said the MVA must take immediate steps. “Otherwise, we will not be able to stop voter suppression by the ruling dispensation. The proposed state-level task force should include representatives from all alliance partners,” he added.