1 week ago
Former Election Chief Warns Voter Deletions Threaten Commission Credibility
Former election official S Y Quraishi spoke about elections at a book launch in Mumbai.
He was worried that many names were being removed from voter lists.
He said the Election Commission should help more people vote, not remove voters in large numbers.
He warned that the commission’s reputation could disappear quickly after taking many years to build.
Quraishi also said the person leading the commission can make a big difference.
He supported electronic voting machines instead of paper ballots.
He said paper ballots had caused problems such as booth capturing in the past.
He also said Election Commissioners do not have a separate oath-taking ceremony.
Former Chief Election Commissioner S Y Quraishi raised concerns about the large-scale deletion of names from electoral rolls.
Quraishi said the Election Commission was removing millions of voters instead of bringing more people into the electoral process.
He warned that the institution’s credibility, built over years, could be damaged within minutes.
Quraishi said the incumbent Election Commissioner plays a crucial role in maintaining the Election Commission’s integrity.
He defended Electronic Voting Machines and rejected a return to ballot papers, citing past booth capturing and alleged cheating in a 40-ballot Chandigarh mayoral election.
- Who
- Former Chief Election Commissioner S Y Quraishi.
- What
- He criticized large-scale voter deletions, discussed the Election Commission’s credibility and leadership, defended electronic voting machines, and raised the absence of a separate oath for Election Commissioners.
- Where
- At the launch of India and I: A Hundred Memories, Not a Memoir, at the Nehru Science Centre in Worli, Mumbai.
- When
- The remarks were made on August 20, 2026; the event was reported with an image dated August 21, 2026.
- Why
- Quraishi said he was especially concerned because he had previously served in and helped build the Election Commission.
Key facts
- Speaker
- S Y Quraishi, who served as Chief Election Commissioner from July 2010 to June 2012
- Main concern
- Large-scale deletion of names from electoral rolls
- Institutional warning
- Quraishi said the Election Commission’s reputation could take years to build but only minutes to damage
- Leadership
- He said the incumbent at the top of the institution matters greatly
- Voting machines
- Quraishi described himself as a strong defender of Electronic Voting Machines
- Ballot-paper criticism
- He cited past booth capturing and alleged cheating involving 40 ballot papers in the Chandigarh mayoral election
- Oath issue
- Quraishi said Election Commissioners have no separate oath-taking ceremony
Quotes
S Y Quraishi
Former Chief Election Commissioner of India
“I am a big defender of EVMs. Going back to ballot paper is like saying you forgot why we moved to EVM in the first place because there used to be booth capturing by goons”
rediff.com
“We are now at a stage in the country where instead of missing millions of voters, we are into removing millions of voters”
rediff.com
Sources
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