22 hrs ago
Electoral Roll Purge Draws Warning Over India’s Voting Rights
India’s Election Commission is checking voter lists through a process called a special intensive revision.
An editorial says this process removed about six crore names from voter lists in several parts of India.
It says Delhi lost about one-third of its voters.
The editorial argues that many people may have been removed unfairly.
In West Bengal, tribunals later gave voting rights back to most people who appealed.
The Election Commission says it has the legal authority to clean up voter lists.
The editorial says cleaning lists should not mean taking away people’s right to vote without a fair hearing.
It wants the courts to make sure the process follows the Constitution.
An editorial estimates that about six crore names were deleted from electoral rolls across 16 states and three Union territories during the SIR’s third phase.
It says Delhi lost roughly one in every three voters, while Maharashtra, Karnataka, Telangana, Andhra Pradesh and Jharkhand also recorded large deletions.
In West Bengal, tribunals restored the voting rights of 75,443 out of 82,782 people who appealed after being excluded from the rolls.
The editorial argues that the Election Commission’s authority to revise rolls does not justify removing voters without adequate notice, evidence or hearings.
It calls on the Election Commission to stop the exercise and urges the apex court to protect voting rights under the Constitution.
- Who
- The Election Commission, voters, state governments and appellate tribunals are central to the issue.
- What
- A special intensive revision of electoral rolls has reportedly deleted millions of voter names, prompting criticism over alleged disenfranchisement.
- Where
- The exercise covered 16 states and three Union territories, including Delhi, Maharashtra, Karnataka, Telangana, Andhra Pradesh, Jharkhand and West Bengal.
- When
- The article discusses the third phase of the SIR and cites earlier West Bengal Assembly elections.
- Why
- The Election Commission says it has a legal mandate to revise voter lists; the editorial argues that removals without adequate proof and hearings threaten voting rights.
Editorial criticism
Election Commission position
Authority to revise voter lists
Editorial criticism
The editorial accepts that the Election Commission may clean up electoral rolls but says this authority does not permit unjustified removal of voters.
Election Commission position
The Election Commission maintains that it has the legal mandate to conduct the special intensive revision.
Proof and hearings
Editorial criticism
The editorial says the Election Commission should provide evidence before deleting names and ensure affected voters receive a fair hearing.
Election Commission position
The article does not detail the Election Commission’s procedures or response on hearings, but reports that it presents the revision as an achievement.
Voter lists and other rights
Editorial criticism
The editorial warns that linking voter-list status with citizenship and other services could affect passports, ration cards and access to food schemes.
Election Commission position
The article reports that the chief election commissioner has linked voter lists and citizenship, while arguing that citizenship is outside the commissioner’s remit.
Key facts
- Estimated deletions
- About six crore names from approximately 36 crore electoral-roll entries in 16 states and three Union territories.
- Delhi deletions
- The editorial says roughly one in every three voters was declared ineligible.
- Maharashtra deletions
- More than two crore names were reportedly removed.
- Karnataka deletions
- About 1.07 crore names were reportedly removed.
- West Bengal appeals
- Tribunals restored the voting rights of 75,443 of 82,782 people who appealed.
- Restoration rate
- The editorial calculates that 91% of the West Bengal appellants had their voting rights restored.
- Election Commission position
- It claims to have the legal mandate to conduct the special intensive revision.
Sources
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