Lucknow, Dec 9 (IANS) Amid the ongoing debate on electoral reforms in the Lok Sabha, Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) chief Mayawati on Tuesday urged the Centre and the Election Commission to implement three key reforms to ensure transparency and protect voters’ rights.
The BSP supremo said the current timeframe for the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls is too short. It overburdens Booth Level Officers (BLOs) and increases the likelihood of genuine voters -- especially the poor, migrant workers, and daily-wage earners -- being left out of voter lists.
Mayawati, in a long post on X, said that completing SIR “in undue haste” was inappropriate in a state like Uttar Pradesh, which has over 15.40 crore voters and no immediate election.
She warned that the rushed exercise could deprive many eligible citizens of their constitutional right to vote, a right guaranteed by Dr B.R. Ambedkar. She called for the SIR timeline to be extended immediately.
Mayawati also raised concerns about the Supreme Court–mandated disclosure of criminal cases by candidates. Under current Election Commission rules, candidates must publish details of their criminal history in affidavits and local newspapers, while political parties are required to publish the same information nationally.
She argued that candidates sometimes hide criminal charges from their parties, which are then caught unawares during scrutiny. This, she said, unfairly shifts liability onto political parties.
"All formalities regarding criminal cases should be the sole responsibility of the candidate," she said, adding: "If a candidate hides information about pending cases, all legal accountability should rest with them -- not with the party."
The BSP President also reiterated her concerns over Electronic Voting Machines (EVMs). To restore public trust in elections, she said the country should revert to ballot paper–based voting.
“If this is not immediately feasible, then at the very least, 100 per cent of VVPAT slips at every polling booth must be counted and matched with EVM data,” she said.
Rejecting the Election Commission’s argument that this would take a long time to publish the results, Mayawati said that when elections already stretch over months, spending a few extra hours on counting should not be an issue.
"This will strengthen public faith in the electoral system and eliminate doubts about the process. It is in the national interest," she added.
--IANS
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