Shillong : The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) has urged authorities to complete the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls before announcing the Garo Hills Autonomous District Council (GHADC) elections.
Speaking to reporters on Saturday, BJP chief spokesperson M Kharkrang said the party is fully prepared for the polls, having already announced a total of 25 candidates in two phases.
“We have already announced 19 candidates in the first list and six more in the second list. By the time the elections are declared, we will have candidates for all seats,” he said.
The GHADC elections were earlier postponed following violent protests in Garo Hills over the issue of non-tribal participation in the electoral process.
Highlighting the importance of electoral integrity, Kharkrang stressed that the SIR exercise is necessary to ensure that only eligible voters are included in the rolls.
“We welcome the SIR and strongly support its conduct, especially in areas where there are doubtful voters. It should be completed before the GHADC elections, preferably by April,” he stated.
On the issue of influx, the BJP leader said the party-led central government is taking the matter seriously and working towards addressing it.
“Influx has long been a concern, but it is only after the BJP came to power that concrete steps are being taken. SIR is one mechanism to identify illegal immigrants, and efforts are ongoing to curb the issue,” he added.
Kharkrang further urged the authorities to expedite the SIR process to pave the way for free, fair, and transparent elections in the GHADC.