Country's Electoral Process in Peril: Justice Sudershan

ACCUSING the Union government of carrying out the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) and other such exercises with an ulterior motive of removing names of voters from electoral rolls, former Supreme Court judge and Opposition vice-presidential candidate Justice B Sudershan Reddy on Monday said that the electoral process in the country is in peril.

- EXPRESS NEWS SERVICE @ Hyderabad

Contrasting the present SIR with the early years of electoral roll preparation that began soon after India's Independence, he said: "When the first draft of the electoral rolls was prepared, the then Election Commission aimed to implement universal adult suffrage to reflect that political power had shifted from colonial rulers to the people. It was an inclusive process. Now, SIR is being conducted with the intent to find reasons to disenfranchise citizens," he alleged.

"CANDIDATE OF UNITED OPPN, NOT JUST OF INDIA BLOC" When Chief Minister A Revanth Reddy referred to him as the INDIA bloc candidate for the vice-presidential election, Justice B Sudershan Reddy noted that he is a candidate of the united Opposition. He said that Aam Aadmi Party chief Arvind Kejriwal also supported his candidature. He also stressed that there is a need for a debate between him and NDA's nominee CP Radhakrishnan.