Rahul Gandhi leading fight to protect voting rights: Uttam Kumar Reddy

Irrigation and Civil Supplies Minister N. Uttam Kumar Reddy lauded Congress leader Rahul Gandhi for uniting INDIA bloc parties in their campaign against alleged irregularities in the Election Commission’s Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls.

In a statement, the Minister said Mr. Gandhi had brought together parties with diverse political backgrounds and regional priorities to safeguard voting rights and uphold democratic values.

Referring to the INDIA bloc’s recent protests in New Delhi, including the October 12 march towards the Supreme Court and the symbolic ‘public impeachment’ proceedings against Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar on October 31, he said the Opposition was pursuing electoral accountability through political mobilisation and legal channels.

While acknowledging the need to remove duplicate and ineligible entries from electoral rolls, Mr. Uttam Kumar Reddy stressed that no eligible voter should be excluded. He called for greater transparency and accountability in the revision process.

Describing the Opposition’s mobilisation as a potential turning point in Indian democracy, he said Mr. Gandhi had emerged as a central leader of the INDIA bloc, with the possibility of his becoming Prime Minister becoming increasingly distinct. However, the people would ultimately decide the country’s political future, he added.