Congress forms panel in UP to monitor SIR process

Lucknow, Jan 12 (PTI) The Uttar Pradesh unit of Congress has constituted a high-profile 12-member state-level committee to monitor and coordinate party efforts related to the special intensive revision (SIR) of electoral rolls in UP.

The committee has been formed on the directions of the All India Congress Committee to ensure close monitoring of the SIR process on the ground. Uttar Pradesh Congress president and former minister Ajay Rai has been appointed as the convener of the panel, according to an official communication issued by the party on Monday.

The committee includes senior Congress leaders, MPs, MLAs and former ministers, including Aradhana Mishra, K P Sharma, Imran Masood, Rakesh Rathore, Tanuj Punia, Ujjwal Raman Singh, K L Sharma, Virendra Chaudhary, Naseemuddin Siddiqui, P L Punia, Sanjay Dixit and Asif Ali Rizvi, the letter said.

The party said the move aims at strengthening coordination and keeping a close watch on activities related to the revision of electoral rolls in Uttar Pradesh.

The step comes amid heightened political activity around the electoral roll revision exercise following the publication of the draft electoral roll in the state after the completion of the SIR.

The draft electoral roll was published recently in which over 2.89 crore voters of the previously registered 15 crore voters were delisted due to reasons like death, migration and enrolment elsewhere.

Political parties have stepped up efforts to monitor the inclusion and exclusion of voters during the claims and objections period.

Earlier, Samajwadi Party president Akhilesh Yadav asked the party workers to remain vigilant to ensure that supporters are not deleted from the electoral rolls and that eligible voters are included. The Bharatiya Janata Party has also taken a similar approach, with Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath urging party cadres and office bearers to ensure that no eligible voter is left out of the electoral rolls in their respective areas.

The Congress said its newly constituted committee will keep a close watch on the SIR-related process across the state and coordinate party action accordingly. PTI KIS SKY SKY