Former Minister and JD (S) leader S. R. Mahesh on Tuesday questioned the Congress party’s anxiety over Special Intensive Revision (SIR) taken up by the Election Commission of India (ECI).

Addressing a press conference in Mysuru, Mr. Mahesh said the Congress party’s apprehensions over SIR, an exercise conducted to revise the voters’ list, has raised doubts over the party’s victory during the Assembly elections held in 2023. “We have now started having doubts over how you were able to win the Assembly elections of 2023,” he said.

SIR is aimed at revising the electoral rolls by removing the multiple entries of voters and those who had died. “Why are you afraid of such an exercise? If the names of genuine voters are left out, there is provision for their inclusion,” he said.

Even though SIR is conducted by ECI, it is carried out by the officials, who belong to the State government. 

Mr. Mahesh also accused the Congress government of pursuing a politics of vendetta against their party leader and Union Minister for Heavy Industries and Steel H. D. Kumaraswamy. 

While several instances of encroachment involving politicians had surfaced across the State over the years, no such case had been handed over to a Special Investigation Team (SIT). “Only the case related to Mr. Kumaraswamy has been entrusted to the SIT. This is politics of vendetta,” he alleged.

“There are numerous allegations against many politicians. Why is action being initiated only against Mr. Kumaraswamy?” he asked. Referring to Nikhil Kumaraswamy’s electoral defeat, Mr. Mahesh said Nikhil had secured 5.5 lakh votes in Mandya and claimed that no Congress leader had received such a huge number of votes.

MLCs C.N. Manjegowda and Vivekananda, President of Mysuru district unit of JD (S) Ashwin Kumar and President of the party’s Mysuru city unit S.B.M. Manju and other local leaders were also present.