Election Process Concerns

The current debate moves beyond Aadhaar, addressing its role as a critical document in preventing disenfranchisement. There's a need to focus on deeper issues affecting the electoral roll exercise, particularly with the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) in Bihar.

Electoral Roll Procedure and SIR Concerns

• The Election Commission of India (ECI) has historically developed detailed and fair procedures for creating and revising electoral rolls.
• However, the SIR process, initiated by an order on 24.06.2025, deviates from established norms, introducing a new revision type without legal backing.
• The SIR mandated submission of an Enumeration Form, unsupported by law, and required evidence of citizenship, contradictory to previous court rulings.
• A new list of 11 documents with dubious evidentiary value was created, disregarding prior lists.
• This process has faced criticism and legal challenges for its lack of legal basis and transparency.

Violations of ECI Manual

• The exclusion of over 65 lakh voters should have led to cross-verification of polling stations but was largely ignored.
• The ECI manual mandates personal verification by Election Registration Officers (EROs) for any significant voter list changes, which was overlooked.
• There was a failure to verify households with 10 or more electors and booths with abnormal gender ratios.

Claims and Objections Phase

• The ECI failed to maintain transparency in handling claims and objections, as outlined in the Manual.
• There was a lack of data digitization and sharing with political parties, contrary to the ECI's guidelines.
• Violations included premature disposal of claims and objections before the required publication period.

Ongoing Issues and Transparency

• Notices were issued to "ineligible electors" without clear documentation or transparency.
• Speculations and lack of transparency in the process raise concerns about compliance with The Registration of Electors Rules, 1960.
• These practices pose critical questions about the adherence to legal norms and the transparency of the electoral process.