Kottayam (Kerala), Apr 10 (PTI) Congress leader Chandy Oommen on Friday said that the SIR of the electoral roll had led to a loss of around 10,000 votes for him in his Puthuppally Assembly constituency in Kerala.
The Assembly polls were held here on Thursday, with results for all 140 constituencies to be declared on May 4.
The LDF is aiming for a third term, the UDF for a comeback, and the NDA to open its account in the state.
Speaking to a TV channel, Oommen, the sitting MLA from Puthuppally, said many people told him they wanted to vote for him, but upon reaching polling booths, found their names missing from the electoral roll.
“So, more than a loss of votes for me, the Special Intensive Revision has resulted in the denial of the right to vote to many people. It is disappointing,” he said.
Oommen, son of late Congress stalwart and former Chief Minister Oommen Chandy, said he realised this while interacting with voters on polling day.
He also said that he had opposed the SIR from the beginning and had approached the Supreme Court against it, but his efforts were unsuccessful. “Nothing can be done about it,” he added.
He said the Election Commission ought to have conducted the SIR as an inclusive exercise rather than an exclusive one, and that too in an allegedly hasty manner.
Oommen further said he chose to avoid posters and hoardings bearing his name during his poll campaign, as he did not want them to trigger clashes with workers of other political parties.
That was also the reason for avoiding the customary celebrations marking the end of the poll campaign, he said.
He claimed that party colleagues and workers accepted his decision, as they felt it was a public-friendly stand.
“Since there was a clash between BJP and CPI(M) activists a day ago, I feel my stand is vindicated,” he contended.
He expressed confidence that the UDF would win the Assembly polls. PTI HMP SSK
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