DIMAPUR: Nagaland Pradesh Congress Committee (NPCC) organised a meeting under the campaign, “Vote Bachao, Desh Bachao”, at District Bhavan, Tuensang, with Congress workers and office bearers from Tuensang, Noklak and Longleng districts.
The meeting was attended by AICC observer Puran Chand Padhi, NPCC working president Apok Jamir, NPCC vice-president W. Akum, NPCC Media and Publicity Committee chairman Andrew Humtsoe, and Social Media and Digital Platform chairman Kumjimong, who addressed the gathering on the ongoing Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls and the need to protect the democratic rights of eligible voters.
Addressing the gathering, Apok Jamir said the “Vote Bachao, Desh Bachao” campaign was being carried out across the country to highlight concerns over alleged irregularities in the electoral revision process. He said the AICC observer had visited Nagaland as part of the party’s initiative to raise awareness and examine issues surrounding the SIR exercise.
Claiming that large-scale voter deletions had taken place in some areas, he urged Congress workers to thoroughly verify electoral rolls in their respective constituencies and make every effort to safeguard genuine voters from being excluded.
He also thanked Congress workers from Noklak and Longleng districts for participating in the meeting and supporting the campaign.
In his address, Puran Chand Padhi expressed concern over the functioning of the SIR process, alleging that the exercise had become increasingly centralised. He stated that Booth Level Officers (BLOs), who previously exercised greater authority at the grassroots level, now had limited decision-making powers.
Padhi further alleged that the SIR exercise was being used to remove the names of voters who did not support the BJP, raising questions over the transparency and impartiality of the process.
Emphasising the importance of voting rights in a democracy, he said the vote remained the greatest strength of an ordinary citizen and that denying eligible citizens this right amounted to suppressing the voice of the people.
He called upon Congress workers to reach every part of their constituencies, carefully verify electoral rolls and identify genuine voters whose names may have been omitted. He stressed that no eligible voter should be left out of the electoral process.
The meeting concluded with a call for vigilance, grassroots coordination and collective efforts to safeguard the democratic rights of all eligible voters under the “Vote Bachao, Desh Bachao” campaign.
