New Delhi/Bhubaneswar: Amid the opposition’s call for a march to the Supreme Court and the scrapping of the Special Intensive Revision of electoral rolls, Odisha Chief Minister Mohan Charan Majhi on Monday defended the exercise as a necessary and constructive step to uphold the integrity of the electoral system.
In a post on X, Majhi stressed: “The credibility of a democracy rests on free and fair elections and the protection of every eligible citizen’s right to vote. Clean and accurate electoral rolls are fundamental to this trust. Duplicate entries, outdated records and the names of deceased persons remaining on voter lists can compromise their accuracy. Ensuring reliable electoral rolls is, therefore, not merely an administrative necessity, but essential to safeguarding electoral integrity and strengthening public confidence in democracy.”
These measures, Majhi argued, go to the heart of electoral fairness, equal representation and the sanctity of every vote. “The Special Intensive Revision (SIR) is vital to ensuring that electoral rolls accurately reflect eligible voters. It helps identify discrepancies, eliminate duplicate entries, update records following deaths or changes in residence, and ensure that eligible voters are not left out. Equally, the process must protect every legitimate voter from wrongful exclusion. These are not minor administrative details; they go to the heart of electoral fairness, equal representation and the sanctity of every vote.”
The CM added that SIR is a necessary and constructive exercise to uphold the integrity of the electoral system. “Its effective implementation, with fairness and due diligence, will help ensure that electoral records remain reliable and that the democratic process commands the confidence it deserves.”
In Odisha, more than 17 lakh names were deleted during the exercise. A three-day special drive saw 1,448 voters who had been left out submit Form 16 applications for inclusion. The final electoral roll published on September 21 listed 3.16 crore electors, down from 3.33 crore before the revision began in July.
Meanwhile, Opposition parties and civil society groups have kept up pressure for answers on the alleged voter deletions.
Earlier in the day, Lok Sabha Leader of the Opposition Rahul Gandhi called on citizens and Opposition forces to assemble in Delhi for what Congress leaders describe as a defence of democracy. The march will proceed from Barakhamba Road to the Supreme Court over the SIR, demanding the resignation of Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar, despite Chief Justice of India Surya Kant turning down the Opposition MPs’ request for a meeting to discuss the issue.
Gandhi announced that he would address the media before the demonstration and urged wider participation through a post on X: “March for Democracy. March for Justice. Chalo Dilli.”
On the other hand, the Cockroach Janata Party (CJP) has vowed to press ahead with its protests against Kumar over alleged irregularities in the SIR. This comes after police detained thousands of demonstrators in Delhi over the weekend to prevent them from reaching Jantar Mantar. Amid heightened security across the capital, Metro station closures and traffic diversions have been announced for Monday.
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