Voter List Cleanup Key to Democracy, Says JP Nadda in Durg
New Delhi, October 30: Speaking at a rally in Durg, Chhattisgarh, Union Minister Jagat Prakash Nadda argued that a clean voter list is vital for democracy and for identifying infiltrators. The address was part of the 'Loktantra Bachao, Arajakta Hatao' yatra, and Chief Minister Vishnu Deo Sai, ministers Gajendra Yadav, Kedar Kashyap and Shyam Bihari Jaiswal, MP Vijay Baghel and state vice-president Jagannath Panigrahi were among those present.
Why the Voter List Matters
Nadda told the gathering that India is known as the mother of democracy and is the largest democratic nation in the world. With more than 90 crore voters and a population of about 140 crore, he said the electoral process demands accuracy and integrity. He praised the Election Commission for the global respect it commands, while accusing some groups of trying to frighten the commission, the Supreme Court and other constitutional bodies.
A Lesson From the Classroom
In a comparison that drew attention at the event, Nadda said a student who occasionally passes an exam may claim to be a genius, but blames the teacher after repeated failure. He said Rahul Gandhi displays the same tendency, calling himself wise after an electoral win and calling the Election Commission flawed after defeats.
Chandamata and the Reach of Democracy
Nadda described Chandamata in Bastar as an example of democracy's expansion. He said no polling had taken place there until 2023. After the government curbed Naxalism, a polling station was set up for the first time, and around 300 people voted. He said ten Election Commission officials walked long distances to reach the booth.
Emergency and Its Legacy
Turning to history, Nadda accused the Congress of placing democracy in chains during the Emergency. He said roughly one lakh people were imprisoned for two years without reasons, arguments or case files. He added that the British had not jailed as many people during the Quit India Movement or other freedom struggles as Indira Gandhi did during the Emergency.
Recent Electoral Setbacks
Nadda contrasted the Congress's stance on EVMs with its recent demand for ballot papers. He noted that the party won one seat out of 28 in recent MLC elections and lost deposits in the rest. He also said Congress lost all four contested MLC seats in Karnataka, where it is in power.
The Scale of Special Intensive Revision
Nadda said the Special Intensive Revision had been carried out 12 times in India, including ten times under Congress rule and twice under the NDA governments of Atal Bihari Vajpayee and Narendra Modi. He said about 12.62 lakh booth level officers, including representatives of all political parties, worked house to house, creating voter identity cards for 96 crore people.
He said that around 13 crore names were removed during the current revision, including 3 crore absentees, 6.3 crore people who had changed residence, about 1 crore duplicate entries and 2.8 crore deceased voters. He said people whose votes were removed wrongly could file a form, and if verified, would regain their right to vote.
Border Districts and Demographic Concerns
Nadda cited data from West Bengal, saying nine districts bordering Bangladesh had seen voter increases from 70 per cent to above 100 per cent. He said Uttar Dinajpur's voter count rose by 105 per cent and Malda's nearly doubled with a 94 per cent increase. He added that Murshidabad recorded 87 per cent growth, South 24 Parganas and Jalpaiguri 83 per cent each. He said the Aadhaar cards of some of these voters had been issued in Murshidabad.
He also referred to Bihar, where the voter count dropped from 7.89 crore to 7.42 crore, while turnout increased to 66.9 per cent. He said NDA won 202 of 243 assembly seats, showing voters' strength.
Nadda reiterated Prime Minister Narendra Modi's message that foreigners and illegitimate persons have no right to vote in India. He said the government's position was to detect, delete and deport infiltrators, while the opposition wanted to normalise and formalise them.
Unanswered Allegations
Nadda said Rahul Gandhi had alleged a lakh fake votes in Mahadevpura, Karnataka, 477 days earlier but had not filed an affidavit. He said the same was true for allegations made in Maharashtra and Haryana, and claimed that Gandhi had demanded the removal of Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar instead.
Historical Context
He further said Indira Gandhi and Congress governments had dismissed elected state governments around 100 times under Article 356, and that Congress had tried to pressure the CAG during the 2G probe. He also cited earlier episodes involving Election Commission appointments and past Congress associations with former officials.
Closing Appeal
Nadda urged party workers to discuss these issues in villages, chaupals and neighbourhoods. He said the opposition should present any evidence before the Election Commission and engage responsibly rather than resorting to disruptive tactics.