The Biju Janata Dal (BJD) on Wednesday questioned the credibility of the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls in Odisha, alleging that residents of villages along the Odisha-Andhra Pradesh border continued to hold voter ID cards issued by both states even after the exercise. The party also sought an explanation from the state’s election authorities over the alleged duplication.
Around 10% of voters from Kotia had exercised their franchise in the Andhra Pradesh rural elections, he said, adding that the 40% polling figure cited by Andhra Pradesh officials was based on the combined turnout at a polling booth catering to several villages, including those in the neighbouring state. Raising the issue at a press conference, senior BJD leaders Devi Prasad Mishra and Bijay Nayak questioned how residents of Kotia in Koraput district and Jumdang village in Malkangiri district could remain registered as voters in two states despite the completion of the SIR exercise. He also questioned why Andhra Pradesh had not removed duplicate and allegedly ineligible voters from its electoral rolls despite the alleged violation of electoral rules.
Odisha law minister Prithiviraj Harichandan said the state government would look into the matter.
