CH NEWS, KALABURAGI The Kalaburagi district unit of the Communist Party of India (CPI) staged a protest on Saturday, demanding that the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls be stopped and voting rights be restored to eligible voters allegedly left out of the voter list. The protesters also demanded the dismissal of Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar. CPI leaders submitted a memorandum to the President of India through the Deputy Commissioner, seeking steps to protect the independent and democratic functioning of the Election Commission. During the protest, CPI leaders referred to media reports stating that two of the three Election Commissioners had raised objections on different occasions over decisions related to voter registration, deletion and restoration of names, and the SIR process. The leaders alleged that these developments had raised questions about the Election Commission’s decision-making process, transparency, and management of voter data. They demanded that the revision of voter lists be carried out through a completely transparent process. The CPI also urged authorities to ensure that eligible voters are not wrongly removed from electoral rolls. The party said the right to vote is a fundamental democratic right and should not be affected by unclear or centralized procedures. The district unit further demanded changes in the system for appointing Election Commissioners to strengthen the credibility and independence of the Election Commission. It proposed a selection committee consisting of the Prime Minister, the Leader of the Opposition in the Lok Sabha, and the Chief Justice of India. District Secretary Dr. Maheshkumar Rathod, State Council member Maula Mulla, Joint Secretary Prabhudeva Yalasangi, District Treasurer Bhimashankar Madiyal, City Secretary Sajid Ahmed, Mahammad Choudhary, and Mallikarjun Kellur were among those who took part in the protest.