Indian EC defends voter roll tweak as unanimous; eases criteria
Poll panel says all decisions on electoral roll revision received unanimous approval as it outlines steps for voters facing possible exclusion.
Highlights:
- EC says nationwide SIR decisions were approved unanimously
- Supreme Court upheld the SIR order on 27 May 2026
- Special enrolment drive planned for young and first-time voters
- Measures discussed for voters marked as "unmapped"
India's Election Commission has said all decisions taken on the nationwide Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls were approved unanimously, as controversy continues over the exercise.
In a press note issued after a meeting of the Election Commission in Delhi on Saturday, the poll panel also announced measures to simplify the process for voters facing notices for possible exclusion because of discrepancies in electoral records.
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The statement came amid controversy following a report by The Indian Express alleging differences within the Election Commission over the SIR.
The commission said the SIR order issued on 24 June 2025, covering all states and Union territories and later implemented in phases, had received unanimous approval.
It also pointed out that the Supreme Court upheld the order on 27 May 2026.
According to the commission, the SIR has been completed in 20 states and Union territories, while some voters were left out of electoral rolls during or after the exercise.
The meeting came against the backdrop of a statement by the Cockroach Janta Party on Thursday that it would launch nationwide protests on 3 October if Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar did not resign within 48 hours.
The statement followed a newspaper report alleging that Kumar had been questioned by his deputies over changes to voter lists.
Opposition parties have alleged that voter lists were manipulated to benefit Prime Minister Narendra Modi's Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP).
The Election Commission said young and first-time voters could apply to the concerned authorities for inclusion in the electoral rolls.
Chief Electoral Officers (CEOs) and other election officials have been directed to launch a special enrolment drive, it said.
The commission also discussed measures concerning voters who receive notices during the ongoing SIR for being "unmapped".
It further clarified that a letter sent to the Cabinet Secretary was not related to any policy decision concerning the commission or its IT division. The letter concerned the functioning of an officer on deputation to the Election Commission.
