Archive · 5 Oct 2026
Parakala Prabhakar Calls for Election Commission’s Dissolution
Parakala Prabhakar says India’s Election Commission is not doing its job fairly or openly.
He says election rules and voter lists have been handled in ways that need clear answers.
He points to reporting about changes to voter forms and how names were added or removed.
He also says commissioners disagreed and that some objections were not answered.
The Election Commission issued statements responding to the reporting, but Prabhakar says they did not address the main questions.
He believes the current voter-list review could take voting rights away from many people.
He wants the Election Commission to leave office and be disbanded.
These are Prabhakar’s views and allegations, rather than findings established in the interview.
Political economist Parakala Prabhakar says the Election Commission of India has lost credibility and should be disbanded.
He cites alleged irregularities in elections, including polling figures, election phasing and enforcement of the model code of conduct.
Prabhakar says an Indian Express investigation raised unanswered questions about Form 6 changes, voter-list deletions and additions, and Form 7 filings in Bengal.
He also points to reported disagreements among commissioners, the absence of full commission meetings for four months, and unresolved objections.
Prabhakar argues the Special Intensive Revision could disenfranchise existing voters; these claims are his criticisms of the commission.
- Who
- Political economist Parakala Prabhakar, commenting on the Election Commission of India and Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar.
- What
- Prabhakar called for the Election Commission to quit and be disbanded, citing alleged procedural irregularities and lack of transparency.
- When
- In an interview published in May 2026; the article also refers to a 2023 survey and election-related events from 2024 onward.
- Where
- India.
- Why
- Prabhakar says the commission is opaque, unaccountable and has mishandled elections and the Special Intensive Revision of voter rolls.
Prabhakar’s criticisms
Election Commission’s response
Transparency and alleged irregularities
Prabhakar’s criticisms
Prabhakar says the commission’s clarifications did not answer core questions raised by the Indian Express investigation, including changes to Form 6 and centralised voter-list actions.
Election Commission’s response
The Election Commission issued press notes purportedly refuting the investigation; the interview does not provide the commission’s detailed explanations.
Special Intensive Revision
Prabhakar’s criticisms
Prabhakar argues the SIR risks removing eligible voters and creating unequal access to the franchise.
Election Commission’s response
The commission’s stated rationale, as relayed in the interview, is that previous voter rolls contained irregularities, including entries for deceased people.
Commission’s legitimacy
Prabhakar’s criticisms
Prabhakar says the commission has lost public trust and should quit or be disbanded.
Election Commission’s response
The interview reports that the commission issued responses to the allegations, but does not present a direct defense of its continued tenure.
- Interview subject
- Parakala Prabhakar, political economist
- Institution discussed
- Election Commission of India
- Chief Election Commissioner
- Gyanesh Kumar
- Voter-roll process
- Special Intensive Revision (SIR)
- Reported Form 7 filings in Bengal
- The interview says the commission filed or authorised filings in as many as 16 lakh cases; Prabhakar says the authorisation was not explained.
- Goa voter-roll example
- The interview says 97 voters were found ineligible and local Electoral Registration Officers could not restore them to the roll.
- Meetings and objections
- The cited investigation reportedly found no full commission meeting for four months and 14 unanswered notes of objection or concern.
- Prabhakar’s estimate
- He refers to 13.5 crore people who voted in 2024 as potentially subject to deletion under the voter-roll revision.