PANAJI
Chief Minister Pramod Sawant on Monday defended the Election Commission of India (ECI) over the deletion of 97 eligible voters from the electoral rolls, saying there was no major issue as those affected could seek re-inclusion by filling Form 6, subject to verification.
Addressing a press conference, Sawant said the process for restoring the names of the 97 voters had already begun and asserted that their names would be included after verification by the Booth Level Officer (BLO) and Returning Officer (RO).
“There is no major issue here. The process simply involves filling out Form 6 again for those whose names were previously deleted. This is a continuous process,” Sawant said, adding that the cases of all 97 voters were being processed.
Defending the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls, Sawant said the exercise was not aimed at deleting minority voters, as alleged by the Congress. He questioned why those claiming that genuine minority voters had been removed had not ensured that they filled Form 6 for re-inclusion.
“If the voters were genuine, why did they not fill Form 6 for inclusion?” he asked, claiming that some persons could have dual passports or voting rights in other States.
Sawant maintained that the three Election Commissioners had acted collectively and that the SIR decision was taken in consultation with relevant stakeholders. He rejected allegations of discrimination against minorities, accusing the Congress of attempting to “divide and rule”.
The Chief Minister also hit out at the Congress for repeatedly questioning constitutional institutions following electoral defeats. He said the party had earlier targeted Electronic Voting Machines (EVMs) and was now questioning the ECI.
He pointed to Congress victories in Himachal Pradesh, Karnataka, Telangana and Tamil Nadu while the same EVMs were used, saying the party accepted the machines when it won but questioned them after losing.
Referring to State's Zilla Panchayat elections, conducted using ballot papers, Sawant said the BJP's victory contradicted the Congress' repeated demand for ballot papers.
He accused Congress of losing public trust and said the party was attempting to regain it through such allegations. “People are smart and will not fall for these tactics,” he said.
