Archive · 5 Oct 2026
Quraishi Urges Legal Restoration Process for Deleted Voters
The Election Commission has asked officials to find people whose names disappeared from voter lists during a revision.
They are supposed to compare old and new lists and help missing voters get back on the rolls.
Former election chief S Y Quraishi says this is a welcome step, but the Commission should explain why the names disappeared.
He also wants information about young people who became eligible to vote but were not registered.
Quraishi says Form 6 is meant for people registering for the first time.
That makes it unsuitable, in his view, for people who were already voters.
He suggests creating a separate form to restore their names.
He says the Commission should publish the results and explain the administrative problems that led to the corrective drive.
Former chief election commissioner S Y Quraishi says the Election Commission’s new instructions reverse its earlier approach to the Special Intensive Revision.
The Commission has ordered a drive across 20 states and union territories where the revision is complete to identify people missing from revised rolls.
Officials are to compare pre- and post-revision rolls, visit missing voters and help them enrol; political parties may assist.
Quraishi says young voters also need answers about enrolment delays and calls for quarterly figures on applications, enrolments, rejections and pending cases.
He objects to deleted voters being directed to use Form 6, which declares that an applicant is seeking electoral registration for the first time, and proposes a separate restoration form.
- Who
- The Election Commission of India, election officials and voters whose names are missing from revised rolls; the article’s author is former chief election commissioner S Y Quraishi.
- What
- A special enrolment drive to identify and re-enrol eligible voters missing from revised rolls, and Quraishi’s call for a legally appropriate restoration procedure.
- When
- Instructions were issued on September 29 and reinforced at a meeting on October 1; the article does not specify the year.
- Where
- 20 states and union territories where the Special Intensive Revision has been completed.
- Why
- To address eligible voters missing from revised rolls; Quraishi says using a first-time registration form for previously registered voters creates a legal and administrative problem.
Commission’s corrective drive
Quraishi’s criticism and proposed remedy
Re-enrolling deleted voters
Commission’s corrective drive
The Commission has directed officials to identify people on pre-SIR rolls who are missing from revised rolls and facilitate their enrolment, using Form 6.
Quraishi’s criticism and proposed remedy
Quraishi welcomes identifying missing voters but says Form 6 is designed for first-time applicants and is not an appropriate restoration procedure.
Explaining administrative failures
Commission’s corrective drive
The Commission’s instructions establish a special drive for missing voters and young people, according to the article.
Quraishi’s criticism and proposed remedy
Quraishi says the Commission should explain why eligible voters were not enrolled or were deleted, publish detailed quarterly figures and hold responsible officials accountable for unjustified obstructions.
- Author
- S Y Quraishi, former chief election commissioner of India
- Exercise
- Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls
- Scale cited
- About 13 crore names disappeared from draft electoral rolls, according to the article
- Areas covered
- 20 states and union territories where SIR has been completed
- Instruction dates
- September 29 and October 1; the year is not specified in the article
- Existing form at issue
- Form 6, described as an application for new voters and first-time inclusion
- Proposed remedy
- Quraishi suggests a separate restoration form, provisionally called Form 6X