Gandhinagar: Gujarat Pradesh Congress Committee (GPCC) president Amit Chavda on Wednesday wrote to the Election Commission of India, claiming that 67 lakh voters who were absent from the 2002 voters’ list have been added without adequate verification.

In a letter to the ECI, Chavda said, “As per the information gathered, it has been found that 67 lakh voters, who were not in the voters’ list in the year 2002, are included without there being sufficient verification. The process of preparation of the voters’ list is sacrosanct. The provisions of the Representation of Peoples Act and Rules framed therein are required to be followed scrupulously. It seems that presently inclusion of such names of voters is done without following due process of law and without sufficient verification.”

Talking about the “pressure” created on BLOs and demanding an extension of the deadline – Chavda said, “It has been found that a very short time is given for preparation of the voters’ list to B.L.O., which has created serious panic. The shocking news of even the passing away of a few of the B.L.O.s, some even by suicide, due to work pressure is received. There is no logic or reason for a short period prescribed by the Election Officer for preparation of the voters’ list. Therefore, in many places BLOs have uploaded the Enumeration Form without taking an original signature of the voters. We request, on behalf of the Gujarat Pradesh Congress Committee, to extend the period for preparation of the voters’ list till the end of February 2026. This would decrease the pressure on existing B.L.O.s, and the quality of preparation of the voters’ list will also improve and ultimately, it will be in the interest of the democratic process.”

Meanwhile, the CEO’s office stated on Wednesday that the distribution of enumeration forms for the ongoing SIR of the electoral rolls has been completed in eight districts. Dang has recorded the highest digitisation in the state at 85.53 per cent as of Wednesday. The Gujarat Congress pointed out that a large number of voters in tribal districts, including Dang, are not present at their residences due to migration for work.

“The residents of the tribal areas of Gujarat are currently not present at their residences as they are in search of their livelihood. It is also necessary to extend the time limit so that people who have migrated in large numbers from tribal areas like Vyara, Kaprada, Dang, Chhota Udepur, Sabarkantha’s Poshina, Khedbrahma and Vijaynagar for employment are not deprived of their voting rights due to poverty and illiteracy,” Chavda said.

The Congress also alleged that authorities have not issued clear and proper instructions to BLOs, leaving them to act at their own discretion. They added that multiple complaints have been received from various parts of Gujarat that BLOs have not provided a second copy of the enumeration form to voters. DeshGujarat