Fix the flaws, pg 8

Key Highlights:

• Allegations of large-scale voter roll discrepancies surfaced in the Mahadevapura Assembly segment of Bengaluru Central during the 2024 general elections.
• Reported anomalies included duplicate voter registrations, identical Electors Photo Identity Card (EPIC) numbers across States, and multiple votes by the same person in single polling booths.
• The Election Commission of India (ECI) attributed these issues to political parties’ failure to object during the registration stage and insisted on evidence being submitted under oath.
• Criticism arose over the ECI’s release of electoral rolls in bulky image PDF format instead of searchable text, limiting transparency and public verification.
• Bihar’s Special Intensive Revision (SIR) exercise to clean voter rolls recorded higher deletion rates among women voters, raising concerns of disenfranchisement in low-literacy and marginalised groups.
• Broader concerns include limited VVPAT verification, absence of independent audits of EVM safeguards, weak enforcement of campaign finance regulations, and delays in publishing turnout data.
• Supreme Court’s 2023 recommendation to include the Chief Justice of India (CJI) in the appointment panel for Election Commissioners remains unimplemented.

Detailed Insights:

• The Election Commission of India (ECI), established under Article 324 of the Constitution, is mandated to conduct free and fair elections to Parliament, State legislatures, and the offices of President and Vice-President. Its authority covers electoral roll preparation, enforcement of the Model Code of Conduct (MCC), regulation of political parties, and monitoring of election expenditure.
• The Mahadevapura incident underscores the centrality of voter roll integrity in electoral legitimacy. Current reliance on self-declaration, coupled with insufficient verification, creates vulnerabilities for duplication and wrongful deletions. Door-to-door verification remains the most reliable method but requires significant resources. The SIR exercise in Bihar illustrates both the potential and risks of large-scale revisions, with disproportionate deletions among women suggesting systemic biases in data verification.
• Transparency deficits further erode trust. Restricting voter roll access to image PDFs impedes independent audits by civil society. Limited VVPAT slip verification, non-retention of polling station CCTV footage, and the absence of independent EVM safeguard audits add to public scepticism.
• Institutional reforms remain pressing. The Supreme Court’s call for a broad-based appointment panel for Election Commissioners aims to safeguard autonomy. Expanding VVPAT verification to statistically significant levels, adopting machine-readable formats for electoral data, and instituting independent audit mechanisms could enhance credibility. Ultimately, the perception of impartiality is as crucial as procedural correctness for maintaining democratic legitimacy.

Concepts Involved:

• Article 324: Constitutional provision empowering the ECI to direct, control, and supervise elections to Parliament, State legislatures, and certain high offices.
• EPIC (Electors Photo Identity Card): Official photo ID for voters; duplication undermines electoral roll accuracy.
• VVPAT (Voter Verifiable Paper Audit Trail): A system allowing voters to verify that their vote has been recorded correctly, serving as an independent audit trail for EVM-based polling.
• Special Intensive Revision (SIR): Field-based voter roll verification and update exercise undertaken to maintain accuracy.
• Model Code of Conduct (MCC): A set of guidelines to ensure free, fair, and ethical campaigning during elections.
• Representation of the People Act, 1951: The principal legislation governing the conduct of elections, qualifications, disqualifications, and powers of the ECI.
• Supreme Court Recommendation (2023): Proposal to include the PM, Leader of Opposition, and Chief Justice of India in the selection panel for appointing Election Commissioners to strengthen institutional independence.