In a democracy, the connection between the state and its residents is marked by direct engagement, with elections serving as the first means by means of which this engagement is exercised. The authority of the state isn’t self-derived; it flows from the collective will of the folks, expressed by means of the act of voting. As thinkers from Locke to Ambedkar have emphasised in several contexts, the legitimacy of the state rests on the consent and confidence of the ruled. This makes it not solely a proper but in addition an obligation of the state to make sure that solely eligible residents are given the chance to vote freely, pretty, and meaningfully. A failure to take action, whether or not by means of neglect or manipulation, quantities to a failure of the state’s core democratic accountability.
Step one of upholding the election course of is a pure electoral roll, which isn’t solely an obligation however a non-negotiable necessity for the very existence of democracy. In line with this mandate, the Fee determined to undertake a particular intensive revision of electoral rolls throughout the nation, starting with Bihar, guided by the core goal that “no eligible elector is ignored and no ineligible elector is included within the electoral roll.”
To realize this, the authorized framework supplies for 2 distinct methodologies: the abstract revision, whereby the present roll is printed as a draft and up to date with additions and deletions; and the intensive revision, which entails the preparation of the roll afresh from scratch. Whereas the abstract revision has been adopted lately primarily for the sake of administrative comfort, the Fee, paying attention to the evolving demographic profile, rising urbanisation, and rising patterns of migration, consciously selected the extra rigorous path of particular intensive revision. This resolution displays the Fee’s dedication to sustaining the purity and integrity of the electoral roll, which types the bedrock of any credible democratic train. The train is being undertaken not solely to make sure that all eligible residents are included, but in addition to confirm that these enrolled fulfill all of the situations prescribed underneath the Structure and the Illustration of the Folks Act, 1950, and usually are not disqualified from being registered as electors.
Whereas the talk ought to have centered on why such a important train had not been performed for over 20 years, the narrative has as an alternative shifted to questioning its timing—why now—when the true query should have been why not earlier. A way of apprehension is being circulated by sure quarters, suggesting that the Particular Intensive Revision (SIR) will lead to mass-scale disenfranchisement. These considerations are largely premised on the idea that many voters, owing to illiteracy, migration for work, or poor entry to documentation, can be unable to satisfy the necessities outlined within the Election Fee of India’s (ECI) pointers. It’s argued {that a} important variety of folks lack the paperwork crucial for enumeration and due to this fact could also be excluded from the electoral roll.
The Election Fee of India, totally conscious that many eligible residents might not possess standard documentary proof, adopted a liberal and inclusive strategy whereas framing the rules dated 24.06.2025. Deliberately, the listing of paperwork prescribed therein was saved indicative and never exhaustive, exactly to make sure that all legally permissible paperwork that set up the eligibility situations underneath the regulation could possibly be thought of by the Electoral Registration Officer (ERO). The underlying goal was to keep away from exclusion and to accommodate the various socio-economic realities of residents throughout the nation. Nonetheless, it should even be understood that the Election Fee, as a constitutional authority, is sure to function strictly throughout the framework of regulation laid down by Parliament. It can not—by design or discretion—allow reliance on paperwork which are legally impermissible or explicitly excluded by statutory mandate. Its flexibility is due to this fact broad, however by no means lawless.
It is usually pertinent to say that from the very first day of notification, the Election Fee, by means of its subject equipment, undertook proactive steps to make sure full protection and, in consequence, the enumeration groups reached 99.8% of electors—a determine that instantly rebuts the declare of widespread exclusion. But, this isn’t the one important consequence of the Particular Intensive Revision (SIR). The train additionally revealed that roughly 22 lakh names on the roll belonged to deceased people, 32 lakh had been discovered to be completely shifted, 4 lakh had been untraceable or did not submit their enumeration types, and almost 7 lakh had been registered at a number of areas.
In whole, round 65 lakh electors don’t function within the draft electoral roll. Considerably, about 61 lakh of those had been discovered to be both deceased, completely relocated, or already enrolled elsewhere—classes which are legally disqualified from being included within the roll. These exclusions are, due to this fact, not arbitrary however crucial corrections that uphold the authorized integrity of the electoral course of. As for the remaining 4 lakh electors, regardless of repeated visits and efforts by enumerators, they weren’t traceable or didn’t submit their types. To handle any inadvertent exclusion, together with amongst these 65 lakh names, the Fee has offered an open window for submitting claims and objections.
The Fee, anticipating the opportunity of real electors being ignored, has instituted a strong remedial mechanism. Any eligible citizen whose title is lacking from the draft roll can submit a declare for inclusion till the ultimate publication scheduled for thirtieth September. This safeguard ensures that the method stays honest and inclusive, with out compromising on the authorized necessities for eligibility.
When preliminary fears of mass disenfranchisement didn’t materialize, consideration shifted to those figures as supposed proof of large-scale deletion. Nonetheless, according to its guideline that “no eligible elector needs to be ignored,” the Election Fee shared the whole listing of such entries with district representatives of acknowledged political events, inviting them to confirm or hint any people whose names they believed had been wrongly deleted. This outreach stays particularly related for the 4 lakh electors who couldn’t be situated throughout enumeration. Regardless of this chance, no substantial effort or opposite proof has been produced by any political celebration to substantiate claims of inaccurate deletions.
Can this then be termed disenfranchisement? The reply isn’t any. What this as an alternative reveals is that a good portion of the present electoral roll included people who’re deceased, have completely relocated, or can’t be verified to exist in any respect. Fairly than undermining the democratic course of, the Particular Intensive Revision has strengthened it by figuring out and correcting large-scale inaccuracies. This train has not solely reaffirmed the Fee’s dedication to electoral integrity however has additionally created a possibility for stakeholders—together with political events and civil society organizations—to help in tracing any remaining unverified electors, significantly those that weren’t discovered regardless of subject visits.
On this essential closing section, political events and non-governmental organizations (NGOs) ought to rise above unproductive debate and as an alternative contribute constructively to the method. Fairly than casting doubts or hindering the revision effort, they need to actively help in figuring out and facilitating the inclusion of any eligible electors who might have been inadvertently ignored of the draft roll. Additionally they have a useful position in serving to monitor the small remaining phase of 4 lakh untraceable electors, making certain that the door stays open for rightful inclusion the place attainable. This last-mile train is important to dispel any remaining apprehension concerning disenfranchisement.
It is very important make clear that until the publication of the draft roll, no title has been deleted on the bottom of non-availability of paperwork. Even through the scrutiny of the enumeration types, each attainable effort will probably be made to make sure that no eligible citizen is excluded solely on account of lack of documentation. In circumstances the place paperwork are unavailable, the Election Fee has deployed a further drive of over 2 lakh volunteers, other than the 1 lakh Sales space Degree Officers (BLOs), to actively help such electors in procuring the required paperwork from related authorities departments. Moreover, no title shall be deleted with out strictly adhering to the three foundational rules of pure justice—issuing a discover, offering an affordable alternative of being heard, and passing a talking order. Any elector nonetheless aggrieved by such deletion can be afforded a possibility to attraction underneath a strong two-tier appellate mechanism, thereby making certain that the method stays each lawful and honest.
The Election Fee of India has approached the Particular Intensive Revision of the electoral roll with the twin accountability of inclusion and integrity. Whereas it’s sure to make sure that each eligible citizen is rightfully included, it’s equally obligated to stop the entry of ineligible names that may distort the democratic course of. The fitting to vote should be unhindered for many who fulfil the authorized situations, however that very same proper loses its which means if the roll is polluted by wrongful entries. However democracy can not enable these with out authorized entitlement to occupy the identical area within the roll. In making certain each rightful inclusion and lawful exclusion, the Fee is fulfilling not two competing duties, however one unified constitutional obligation: defending the sanctity of the franchise. EC is solely doing its job.
