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New Delhi, Nov 26 (IANS) While massive protests are taking place in opposition-ruled states going to polls next year amid the Election Commission’s second phase of Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls, Leader of Opposition in Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi is largely away from the public eye.
While the Congress leader has limited himself to occasionally raising the issue on social media, there has been no reference to his earlier so-called “exposure bomb” by his Indian allies who protested at the time of the Bihar Assembly elections.
Rahul has been missing from public view since the announcement of Bihar election results. Unverified social media posts earlier claimed to have seen him at London’s Heathrow airport, but this was dismissed by other Congress leaders.
However, recently, he has been meeting some Congress leaders and is said to be in talks with the top hierarchy of the party on the current crisis in Karnataka.
In Karnataka, where the Congress is in power, the high command is facing a fresh tussle for leadership.
One reason for his absence is being said to be the poor performance of Congress in Bihar. Others claim it is part of his general failure to carry a movement or issue forward for long.
Additionally, there is also discussion of his apparent disappointment at colleagues’ disapproval of attributing the “vote theft” slogan to him.
Meanwhile, despite the Election Commission’s repeated refusal and repeated assurances by providing the data, West Bengal’s ruling Trinamool Congress has launched several anti-SIR agitations under the leadership of Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee and party general secretary Abhishek Banerjee.
The party has alleged several Booth Level Officers (BLOs) of the Election Commission falling ill repeatedly, even losing their lives due to work pressure and voters committing suicide out of fear of losing their electoral rights.
With the winter session of Parliament starting next month, it has now planned an anti-SIR agitation in Delhi, including a scheduled visit of its delegation to the Election Commission office.
Party insiders do not rule out the possibility of demonstrations in front of the election body office or even outside Parliament. They fear a repeat of the tense drama that took place in 2023 outside the Agriculture Ministry in Central Delhi over the allocation of MNREGA funds.
Meanwhile, Kerala is also witnessing several SIR protests and legal petitions led by allies of the state’s ruling Left Democratic Front (LDF), which have led to the Supreme Court taking notice and hearing.
Like in West Bengal, BLOs protested and raised concerns over the heavy workload and unrealistic targets during the SIR calculation phase with similar allegations of deaths.
Kerala government employees and local officials have staged protests and sit-ins outside state election offices to press for the postponement of the SIR until the local body elections are over.
The Congress-led state opposition alliance United Democratic Front (UDF) also publicly criticized the SIR timetable and hinted at coordinated political action and non-cooperation if the schedule is not adjusted.
In Tamil Nadu, statewide protests against the SIR have been coordinated by the DMK and allies of the secular progressive government it leads.
BLOs and revenue staff have boycotted the process with legal petitions filed against the SIR practice.
Major actions include statewide rallies led by the DMK, district protests organized by actor Vijay’s TVK, planned revenue staff boycotts and petitions reaching the courts.
The Congress’ dilemma in directly engaging with the protests in these states is that while it is in the opposition in West Bengal and Kerala, it remains a minor partner in the secular progressive alliance in Tamil Nadu, which has won 10 of the 25 seats contested in the state’s 234-member assembly.
–IANS
JB/PGH