Team Goemkarponn
VASCO: Former Congress youth president Mahesh Nadar on Friday alleged large-scale harassment of opposition voters under the guise of the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls, claiming that the exercise was being misused to target voters perceived to be aligned with opposition parties ahead of the 2027 Assembly elections.
Addressing the media outside the Cortalim Panchayat, Nadar said residents in opposition-dominated pockets were being served hearing notices late at night, creating fear and confusion among voters. He alleged that names of several residents were being proposed for deletion from the electoral rolls despite them submitting all required documents to establish their eligibility.
“This is nothing but harassment of genuine voters. People who have been staying at the same address for years are suddenly being issued notices at odd hours and asked to prove their identity again, even after producing valid documents,” Nadar said.
He alleged that booth level agents (BLA-2) appointed by the BJP were playing a key role in the process and were deliberately recommending deletion of names of opposition voters. “These BLA-2s are being appointed with a clear agenda to delete the names of voters who do not support the ruling party. This is a systematic attempt to weaken the opposition before the 2027 elections,” he alleged.
Nadar further claimed that booth level officers (BLOs), who are familiar with ground realities, had explained that many of the affected residents had been living at the same location for several years. “Despite the BLOs clearly stating that these voters are genuine and long-term residents, their names are still being marked for deletion based on questionable recommendations,” he said.
He warned that such actions could seriously undermine the credibility of the electoral process. “The SIR exercise is meant to clean up electoral rolls, not to selectively target opposition voters. What is happening on the ground is deeply disturbing and dangerous for democracy,” Nadar said.
The former youth leader demanded immediate intervention by the Election Commission to ensure that the revision process remains fair, transparent and free from political interference. He also urged affected voters to come forward and report any harassment, assuring them of full support from the Congress.
Nadar cautioned that if the alleged practices continued, the party would be forced to intensify its agitation to protect the voting rights of citizens.
