Context

• India’s electoral system has evolved to make elections more inclusive, accessible and credible.
• However, mass revisions of electoral rolls, suspicious voter deletions, discrepancies in polling data and restrictions on access to election records have raised concerns about the Election Commission of India’s (ECI) effectiveness.
• The central challenge is to balance accurate electoral rolls with the constitutional right to vote.
• Transparency, accountability and institutional independence are essential to maintaining public confidence in elections.

Historical Lessons in Electoral Inclusion

• During the preparation of India’s first electoral roll, nearly 28 lakh women were excluded because they were identified through their relationships with men rather than registered in their own names.
• Sukumar Sen, India’s first Chief Election Commissioner, worked to register women as independent voters.
• By the 1957 elections, approximately 85% of the affected women had been registered under their own names.
• This experience established that every eligible citizen must be recognised as an independent political participant.
• Electoral administration must uphold universal adult suffrage and prevent procedural requirements from becoming instruments of exclusion.

Special Intensive Revision: Accuracy versus Exclusion

• The Bihar Experience
  • In Bihar, approximately 65 lakh names were missing from the draft electoral roll published in August 2025.
  • The ECI cited deaths, migration and duplicate entries as reasons for exclusion. Although accurate rolls are necessary, voters must be informed of the reasons for deletion and allowed to challenge mistakes.
  • The Supreme Court directed the ECI to publish excluded voters’ names along with the reasons for their exclusion.
  • Transparent verification and accessible appeals are essential to ensure that electoral revision does not result in wrongful disenfranchisement.
• The West Bengal Experience
  • In West Bengal, more than 27 lakh names were deleted during adjudication, leading to approximately 22 lakh appeals.
  • Tribunal judges reported technical problems with the appeals portal, including difficulties issuing notices, conducting hearings and restoring names.
  • These challenges demonstrate the importance of timely grievance redressal. An appeal decided after an election cannot restore a voter’s lost opportunity.
  • Electoral administration must therefore ensure that appeals are processed efficiently and eligible voters are not denied participation because of administrative failures.

The Form 7 Question

• Form 7 allows electors to request deletion of names from electoral rolls. In Aland, Karnataka, 6,018 online deletion applications were submitted.
• The ECI rejected 5,994 applications as incorrect and accepted only 24 after verification. An inquiry followed, and an FIR was registered.
• Although the rejection of incorrect applications demonstrates that safeguards can work, concentrated applications raise concerns about identity misuse and fraudulent deletions.
• Every request must undergo proper verification, supported by a traceable audit trail recording the applicant’s identity, evidence and final decision.
• Such safeguards can prevent electoral manipulation while protecting legitimate voters.

Transparency in Polling Data

• During Maharashtra’s 2024 Assembly election, reported turnout increased from 58.22% at 5 p.m. to 66.05% in the final figure.
• The ECI explained that the earlier figure was provisional and that updates continued as polling parties returned and records were scrutinised.
• The difference does not automatically establish malpractice, but substantial changes require clear explanations.
• Transparent data disclosure, documented updates and verifiable reconciliation procedures would enable citizens and independent observers to assess electoral claims objectively.

Public Access to Election Records

• In December 2024, following a Punjab and Haryana High Court order concerning election records in a Haryana Assembly election case, the government amended Rule 93 of the Conduct of Elections Rules.
• The change raised concerns about public access to electronic records, including CCTV footage and webcasting material.
• While voter privacy and data security deserve protection, restrictions must not prevent legitimate scrutiny.
• A balanced framework should establish clear rules for preserving, accessing and disclosing records while protecting sensitive information.
• Independent examination of election records is vital for accountability.

Institutional Independence of the Election Commission

• In Anoop Baranwal v. Union of India (2023), the Supreme Court prescribed an interim selection committee comprising the Prime Minister, the Leader of the Opposition and the Chief Justice of India for appointing election commissioners.
• Parliament subsequently replaced the Chief Justice with a Union Cabinet Minister.
• The government consequently has two representatives on the three-member selection committee, raising concerns about executive influence over appointments.
• A transparent and impartial selection mechanism is necessary to strengthen the ECI’s credibility and perceived independence.
• Institutional autonomy is essential for ensuring that electoral rules are enforced fairly, regardless of political interests.

Conclusion

• India’s electoral democracy requires accurate electoral rolls, fair deletion procedures, timely appeals, transparent polling data and accessible election records.
• The ECI must combine administrative efficiency with accountability and institutional independence.
• Constitutional authority alone cannot replace verifiable evidence.
• Public confidence grows when decisions are explained, mistakes are corrected promptly and electoral processes remain open to legitimate scrutiny.
• Ultimately, the right to vote must be protected in both law and practice, ensuring that every eligible citizen can participate freely and equally in India’s democracy.