New Delhi: During a meeting with the Election Commission of India (ECI) a delegation of the Biju Janata Dal (BJD) today told the commission that the party would strongly oppose the implementation of the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) in Odisha, if it results in the disenfranchisement of genuine voters.

The delegation, led by senior vice-president Debi Prasad Mishra, stressed the SIR process must be conducted with full transparency and the active involvement of all stakeholders. Former MP Amar Patnaik cautioned against adopting the Bihar model of SIR, where, a hurried process and inadequate time had led to genuine voters allegedly being left out.

The BJD further highlighted several concerns arising from the 2024 simultaneous Lok Sabha and Assembly elections, including: unexplained discrepancies between the number of votes polled and counted; mismatches between votes in MP and MLA segments, and a sudden spike in polling percentage after 5 PM.

The party also objected to the non-receipt of Form 17C despite repeatedly raising the issue. Following the meeting, the BJD stated that the Election Commission acknowledged the lapse and expressed surprise that the form had not been provided.

On the matter of electoral roll preparation, the delegation suggested reforms to ensure that no eligible voter is excluded, particularly migrants and temporary workers who are often left out of the system.

The BJD delegation comprised Amar Patnaik (Ex-MP), Sanjay Das Burma (Ex-Minister), Pramila Mallick (Ex-Speaker), Niranjan Pujari (Ex-Speaker), Sulata Deo (MP), Priyabrata Majhi (Media Coordinator), and Bhrugu Buxipatra (Senior General Secretary, BJD).