Archive · 6 Sep 2026
Quraishi Criticizes SIR Over Large Voter Exclusions
The Election Commission is checking voter lists in several parts of India.
This process is called the Special Intensive Revision, or SIR.
The Commission says it wants to remove duplicate, outdated, or ineligible names.
It also says eligible voters should not be left out.
Former election chief SY Quraishi criticized the process.
He used sarcasm to say that millions of people had effectively been removed from the lists.
He asked the Commission to say how many illegal immigrants it had actually found.
Opposition leaders have also alleged that too many voters were removed, especially in Maharashtra.
The disagreement is about how to keep voter lists accurate without stopping eligible citizens from voting.
Former Chief Election Commissioner SY Quraishi criticized the Election Commission of India’s Special Intensive Revision of electoral rolls.
Quraishi sarcastically said the exercise had effectively eliminated 14–15 crore people, and asked the ECI to disclose how many illegal immigrants it found.
He argued that voting is a constitutional right under Article 326 and said deleting large numbers of voters could harm democracy.
The ECI says SIR is intended to remove duplicate and ineligible entries while ensuring that no eligible voter is excluded.
Maharashtra’s draft voter list reportedly contained two crore fewer voters than the previous roll, intensifying opposition criticism.
- Who
- Former Chief Election Commissioner SY Quraishi, the Election Commission of India, and opposition parties including the Congress are central to the dispute.
- What
- Quraishi criticized the Special Intensive Revision of electoral rolls and questioned the scale of voter exclusions and the number of illegal immigrants identified.
- When
- Quraishi made the remarks on Sunday; the nationwide SIR was announced in October 2025, and Maharashtra data cited in the report was released as of August 17.
- Where
- The revision is being conducted in several Indian states and Union Territories, with Maharashtra receiving particular scrutiny.
- Why
- The ECI says the exercise is meant to make electoral rolls accurate and remove ineligible or duplicate entries, while critics say it risks excluding eligible voters.
Critics of SIR
Election Commission’s Position
Scale of voter exclusions
Critics of SIR
SY Quraishi and opposition leaders say the deletion of crores of names is alarming and could amount to tinkering with democracy or stealing votes.
Election Commission’s Position
The ECI says the revision is designed to identify and remove ineligible or duplicate entries while ensuring that no eligible elector is left out.
Purpose and results
Critics of SIR
Quraishi questioned whether detecting illegal immigrants—the stated main purpose he cited—had produced meaningful results and asked the ECI to publish the figure.
Election Commission’s Position
The ECI says the exercise responds to migration, multiple registrations, deceased voters remaining on rolls, and foreign nationals appearing in electoral lists.
Voting rights
Critics of SIR
Quraishi said voting is a constitutional right under Article 326 and not a benefit that the Election Commission may grant as charity.
Election Commission’s Position
The ECI’s stated position is that electoral rolls must be accurate and free of ineligible entries while eligible voters remain included.
- Exercise
- Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls
- ECI objective
- To maintain accurate, up-to-date rolls free of ineligible or duplicate entries while retaining eligible electors
- Quraishi’s estimate
- He said about 14–15 crore people had effectively been eliminated through the exercise
- Maharashtra enumeration
- 7,71,65,562 of 9,78,54,049 electors had submitted forms as of August 17
- Maharashtra draft roll
- The draft voter list reflected two crore fewer voters than the previous electoral roll
- Announced by
- Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar announced the nationwide exercise in October 2025
- ECI-cited factors
- Migration, multiple registrations, deceased voters remaining on rolls, and inclusion of foreign nationals