Bhubaneswar: Amid the opposition’s demand for scrapping the special intensive revision (SIR) of electoral rolls, chief minister Mohan Charan Majhi on Monday defended the exercise, describing it as a necessary and constructive step to uphold the integrity of the electoral system.In a social media post, Majhi said the credibility of democracy rests on free and fair elections and the protection of every eligible citizen’s right to vote. “Clean and accurate electoral rolls are fundamental to this trust. Duplicate entries, outdated records and names of deceased persons remaining on voter lists can compromise their accuracy,” he said.Emphasising the need for reliable voter lists, the chief minister said maintaining accurate electoral rolls is not merely an administrative exercise but is essential to safeguarding electoral integrity and strengthening public confidence in democracy.According to him, the SIR helps identify discrepancies, remove duplicate entries, update records following deaths or changes in residence, and ensure that eligible voters are not left out. At the same time, he stressed that every legitimate voter must be protected from wrongful exclusion. “These are not minor administrative details. They go to the heart of electoral fairness, equal representation and the sanctity of every vote,” Majhi said.In Odisha, more than 17 lakh names were deleted during the SIR exercise. During a three-day special drive, 1,448 voters who were left out of the revised rolls submitted Form 16 applications seeking inclusion. The final electoral roll published on Sept 21 shows 3.16 crore electors, down from 3.33 crore before the SIR exercise undertaken in July.The opposition BJD and Congress reacted sharply to the chief minister’s statement. Deputy leader of the opposition and BJD MLA Prasanna Acharya said the latest special intensive revision (SIR) was unacceptable as, for the first time, more than 13 lakh voters had been struck off the electoral roll. He noted that previous SIR exercises had typically resulted in a net increase in the number of voters.“In a small state like Odisha, around 20 lakh voters were deleted. The entire process has come under a cloud,” Acharya said. He also alleged that the Election Commission changed Form 6, which, according to him, was beyond its mandate. “That is why the BJD has been demanding the resignation of chief election commissioner Gyanesh Kumar,” he added.Odisha Pradesh Congress Committee (OPCC) president Bhakta Charan Das criticised Majhi for defending the SIR. In a statement issued from the INDIA alliance protest site in New Delhi, Das alleged that “the exercise was a deliberate attempt to manipulate voter lists and suppress opposition votes,” rejecting the CM’s description of it as a routine administrative process. He also targeted the Election Commission and Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar, accusing them of compromising electoral integrity. Das further questioned the transparency of the electoral process and reiterated Congress’ demand for restoring the ballot paper system.