A total of 343 voter identity cards were reportedly found floating along the banks of the Narmada River in Khargone district, Madhya Pradesh, on Sunday. This discovery has led the Congress party to call for a formal investigation and the filing of a First Information Report (FIR) regarding the incident. The situation arises amid ongoing protests across the nation against the Election Commission of India (ECI) concerning the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls and allegations of discrepancies in voter lists.

Initial reports indicate that the voter ID cards are associated with the Rau assembly constituency in Indore district, which is part of the Indore Lok Sabha constituency. Currently, this seat is held by BJP MLA Madhu Verma, while it was previously represented by former Congress MLA Jitu Patwari. The cards were discovered by local residents during a cleanliness initiative along the riverbank, who subsequently alerted the authorities.

A video showing the recovered voter ID cards has circulated widely on social media platforms. However, Hindustan Times has stated that it could not independently verify the video’s authenticity. Following the incident, District Congress president Ravi Naik, along with party members, lodged a complaint at the Mandleshwar police station, requesting the registration of an FIR.

Congress Raises Concerns Over Election Commission’s Conduct

Ravi Naik has expressed concerns regarding the operational integrity of the Election Commission and has called for accountability for those involved in the matter. Furthermore, the Congress party has urged for a search operation in the river, involving divers, to ascertain whether additional voter ID cards have been discarded in the area. Naik issued a warning that the party would stage a protest at the police station if an FIR was not filed.

Shweta Shukla, the Mandleshwar Sub-Divisional Officer of Police, confirmed that the voter ID cards were discovered during the cleanliness drive. She noted that the revenue team had taken possession of the cards and instructed the police station in charge to investigate the situation. The police have also received a formal complaint from the Congress party regarding the incident.

This controversy emerges as opposition parties intensify their criticism of the SIR exercise and the Election Commission’s management of electoral rolls. Recent demonstrations in Delhi and other cities have called for the resignation of Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar and the cancellation of the revision process, with protestors voicing concerns about alleged voter deletions.

Election Commission Responds to Allegations

In response to the ongoing situation, the Election Commission has instructed state authorities to carry out special enrolment drives to ensure that eligible voters are included in the electoral rolls. The Congress party has also called for a comprehensive investigation into voter lists nationwide and a cessation of the SIR exercise.

In a separate directive, the Election Commission has mandated annual revisions of electoral rolls in states and Union territories where the SIR process has been completed. Mandleshwar, the location where the voter ID cards were found, is part of the Maheshwar assembly constituency, represented by BJP MLA Rajkumar Mev, and falls under the Khargone Lok Sabha constituency, which is represented by BJP MP Gajendra Singh Patel.

The discovery of the voter ID cards has raised significant questions about the integrity of the electoral process in Madhya Pradesh, further intensifying the scrutiny of the Election Commission’s activities and the management of voter registration across the country.

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