Presumed ineligible, Pg6

Key Highlights:

• The Election Commission of India (ECI)'s Systematic Electoral Roll Revision (SIR) process is under scrutiny for potential disenfranchisement of eligible voters.
• In West Bengal, by early September 2026, only 3.2% of over 38 lakh appeals against deletions were disposed of, with 93% of decided cases resulting in electors being added back to the rolls.
• This indicates that 27 lakh electors initially deemed ineligible in West Bengal were likely wrongly removed.
• In Delhi, Phase 3 of the SIR shows fewer electors in 24 out of 70 constituencies compared to the February 2025 Assembly election.
• Approximately 13.79 lakh electors in Delhi are under notice for "no mapping" and 19.33 lakh are flagged for "logical discrepancies" on undefined grounds.
• The Supreme Court of India is hearing petitions challenging the SIR process in both West Bengal and Delhi.

Detailed Insights:

• The ECI's stated principle is that no eligible elector should be excluded from the electoral rolls, a sentiment echoed by the Supreme Court of India.
• The low disposal rate and high inclusion rate in West Bengal's appellate tribunals suggest significant flaws in the initial verification phase of the SIR.
• The process places the burden of proving eligibility on the elector, which can be challenging and lead to wrongful deletions.
• The ECI's method of linking electors to rolls from the early 2000s can create manufactured "discrepancies" even when documents are valid.
• The Supreme Court of India had previously intervened in Bihar SIR petitions to prevent eligible voters from being struck off, but its recent permissiveness is noted.
• The current issues with the SIR process are seen as a significant challenge to the jurisprudence of Universal Adult Franchise in India.
• With municipal elections approaching in West Bengal, there is an urgent need for the ECI to expedite the appellate process and restore eligible voters.

Key Concepts Involved:

• Electoral Rolls: Official lists of eligible voters for elections, maintained by the Election Commission of India.
• Systematic Electoral Roll Revision (SIR): A comprehensive exercise conducted by the ECI to update and purify electoral rolls by adding new voters and removing ineligible ones.
• Disenfranchisement: The act of depriving a person or group of the right to vote, often due to administrative errors or restrictive policies.
• Universal Adult Franchise: The right of all adult citizens to vote, irrespective of caste, creed, religion, gender, education, or economic status, enshrined in Article 326 of the Indian Constitution.