Port Blair(Sri Vijaya Puram): The Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls has triggered a fresh political confrontation in the Andaman and Nicobar Islands, with the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) demanding an investigation into the reported deletion of voters and action against Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar. Addressing a press briefing here on Saturday, AAP A&N President Dr Arun Kumar Mallik alleged that 16.6 per cent of voters in the Islands had been deleted, describing it as the highest proportion reported among States and Union Territories. He said a substantial number of deletions were reported from the PBMC area and claimed that many affected voters had participated in the 2024 Lok Sabha election.
The AAP leader’s allegations come amid a wider national controversy over SIR. It was reported in a section of the national media that two Election Commissioners had recorded objections on several occasions concerning electoral-roll decisions. The Election Commission has maintained that decisions of the full Commission were unanimous.
Dr Mallik demanded that Gyanesh Kumar be suspended and investigated, with prosecution if wrongdoing is established. He also alleged irregular issuance of residential certificates by some PBMC councillors and claimed to possess documentary evidence concerning five councillors and a Pradhan. These allegations require independent verification by competent authorities. AAP has urged Islanders to check their names with Booth Level Officers and immediately seek correction if their names have been omitted.
Turning the issue into a local electoral plank, Dr Mallik also appealed to voters to reject both the Congress and BJP in the proposed 2027 local-body elections, while seeking support for AAP candidates.
The immediate concern, he said, is to establish how many genuine voters have been deleted and whether they can be restored before the next elections.
