Vijayawada: An All-Party roundtable meeting demanded that the Election Commission of India (ECI) immediately stop the implementation of the Special Intensive Revision (SIR), Comprehensive Voters List Amendment process in Andhra Pradesh, stating that the matter is still pending before the Supreme Court and lacks legal sanction in the State.

CPM State Secretary V Srinivasa Rao, CPI State Secretariat Member Jangala Ajay Kumar, YSRCP leader Dr Sake Sailajanath, Andhra Pradesh Intellectuals Forum President Chalasani Srinivasa Rao, Jah Bheem Party president Jada Sravan Kumar, and others participated in the roundtable meeting. The all-party roundtable meeting was held at Makineni Basavapunnaiah Vignana Kendram (MBVK) in Vijayawada on Sunday.

Participants expressed serious concerns that, despite the SIR process being under judicial scrutiny, officials in Andhra Pradesh were preparing at the polling booth level without any formal notification. They argued that these actions violate the Representation of the People Act (RPA). Leaders from various political parties demanded an All-Party meeting to discuss this issue.

The meeting noted that, under the RPA, every adult citizen has the right to be registered as a voter. However, the ECI's insistence on citizenship records—while excluding voter ID cards and Aadhaar as valid documents—and demanding birth certificates or passports was described as unilateral and restrictive. Though some corrective steps were taken following Supreme Court intervention, the case remains unresolved, the meeting said.

Speakers pointed out that the ECI has issued SIR-related notifications in nine states and three Union Territories, many of which have already challenged the process in the Supreme Court. They argued that Andhra Pradesh, which is not included in the ECI’s official list for SIR implementation, should not carry out any related activities.

The resolution strongly criticised attempts to force individuals—whose names were absent from the 2002 voter list—to reestablish identity through additional certificates. Such measures were termed a violation of constitutional rights, particularly the right to vote, which is central to parliamentary democracy.

The meeting aw lleged that the SIR process encroaches upon the Citizenship Act, contributes to communal polarization, and undermines democratic values. It urged the Chief Electoral Officer of Andhra Pradesh to immediately stop all preparatory activities and convene an all-party meeting on the issue. If the ECI fails to act, the roundtable resolved to mobilise public opinion to safeguard constitutional rights and protect democratic processes.