The ECI’s lack of transparency is worrying, pg 9

Key Highlights:

• Massive Deletions: Draft voter list after the first phase showed deletion of 65 lakh names (~27,000 per constituency). In the 2020 Bihar elections, this number exceeded the winning margin in two-thirds of Assembly seats.
• Reasons Cited: 22 lakh voters listed as dead, 36 lakh as permanently shifted/not found, 7 lakh as enrolled in multiple places.
• Lack of Disclosure: ECI claims deletion lists were shared with political parties, but reasons for deletion were not provided.
• Nationwide Exercise: SIR to cover ~100 crore voters; rationale for the sudden nationwide rollout remains unclear.
• Citizenship Proof Debate: For Bihar, voters on 2003 rolls are exempt from producing proof; others must submit documents such as passports or birth certificates.
• Concerns of NRC by Proxy: Former Election Commissioners and civil society fear the exercise could be a backdoor implementation of the National Register of Citizens (NRC).

Detailed Insights:

• Transparency Issues:
  • No public disclosure of the full list of deletions with reasons undermines the ability to verify fairness.
  • Missing records of the 2003 intensive revision raise doubts about the precedent claimed by the ECI.
  • The absence of the “independent appraisal” in the ECI’s 800-page Supreme Court affidavit weakens the stated rationale.
• Electoral Implications:
  • Large-scale deletions in closely contested constituencies can decisively swing results.
  • Disproportionate impact on marginalised communities, who often lack formal documentation.
  • Nationwide rollout could alter the electoral landscape before upcoming polls.
• Citizenship Verification Risks:
  • Failure to prove citizenship could lead to referral under the Citizenship Act, 1955, with consequences beyond voting rights.
  • Introducing citizenship proof in voter roll revision is unprecedented in most States.

Concepts Involved:

• Special Intensive Revision (SIR): An extraordinary update of electoral rolls involving door-to-door verification.
• Ordinary Residence Rule: Under the Representation of the People Act, 1950, voters must be registered at their place of ordinary residence.
• NRC (National Register of Citizens): Official record of Indian citizens; controversial for its implications on citizenship rights.
• Right to Information: Constitutional and statutory right enabling citizens to access decision-making rationale of public authorities.