{"id":13142,"date":"2026-05-04T00:00:57","date_gmt":"2026-05-03T18:30:57","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/indianow.me\/?p=13142"},"modified":"2026-05-04T00:34:12","modified_gmt":"2026-05-03T19:04:12","slug":"eci-has-lost-credibility-300-voices-call-sir-process-undemocratic-and-exclusionary","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/indianow.me\/?p=13142","title":{"rendered":"\u201c\u2018ECI Has Lost Credibility\u2019: 300+ Voices Call SIR Process Undemocratic and Exclusionary\u201d"},"content":{"rendered":"

Civil Society Coalition Alleges Mass Disenfranchisement, Demands Halt to Electoral Roll Revision Exercise, Questions ECI\u2019s Credibility<\/strong><\/span><\/h2>\n

Allegations of Exclusion and Bias Surface Across States<\/strong><\/p>\n

A coalition of over 300 civil society leaders and public figures has called for an immediate halt to the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls, alleging large-scale disenfranchisement and systemic flaws in the process. In a joint statement, signatories from states where SIR has been implemented\u2014and those slated for its next phase\u2014claimed the exercise has \u201cundermined democratic principles\u201d and eroded trust in the Election Commission of India (ECI).<\/p>\n

The group asserted that the ECI, constitutionally mandated under Article 324 to ensure free and fair elections, has \u201clost all credibility\u201d and acted in a \u201cpartisan manner.\u201d It also expressed \u201cdeep disappointment\u201d with the Supreme Court, stating that it has yet to effectively safeguard citizens\u2019 constitutional voting rights amid ongoing challenges to the SIR\u2019s legality.<\/p>\n

\u2018Flawed and Exclusionary Process\u2019<\/strong><\/p>\n

The statement alleged that nearly six crore eligible voters have been excluded from electoral rolls across 10 states and three Union Territories where SIR has been conducted. It cited West Bengal as a key example, claiming around 35 lakh voters were denied verification despite seeking adjudication, resulting in loss of franchise \u201cthrough no fault of their own.\u201d<\/p>\n

Describing the process as \u201cexclusionary, non-transparent and unscientific,\u201d the coalition argued that SIR disproportionately affects minorities, Adivasis, Dalits, migrant workers, and other marginalised groups, with women facing heightened impact. \u201cThis severely assaults the principle of universal adult franchise embedded in our Constitution,\u201d the statement said.<\/p>\n

The group also pointed to cases where prominent individuals\u2014including Nobel laureate Amartya Sen, former Navy Chief Admiral Arun Prakash (retd), cricketer Mohammed Shami, and poet Joy Goswami\u2014were reportedly issued notices or removed from rolls, despite possessing valid documentation. \u201cSuch instances only demonstrate the deeply flawed nature of the SIR process,\u201d it added.<\/p>\n

Demand for Review and Judicial Clarity<\/strong><\/p>\n

Calling for immediate intervention, the coalition demanded that the SIR be halted pending a comprehensive review and the conclusion of hearings in the Supreme Court on its constitutional validity. \u201cNo legitimate election process can proceed without the inclusion of all rightful voters,\u201d the statement emphasised.<\/p>\n

It further proposed that, if continued, the revision exercise must follow clearly defined rules with strict audit and verification standards aligned with those of the Comptroller and Auditor General (CAG). The group also urged retrospective scrutiny in states where SIR has been completed to ensure reinstatement of all eligible voters.<\/p>\n

Among structural reforms, the coalition advocated for a \u201ccommon voters list\u201d from the Gram Sabha to the Lok Sabha level, arguing that locally verified rolls would enhance transparency and prevent wrongful exclusions.<\/p>\n

Sharp Criticism of ECI, Call for Institutional Overhaul<\/strong><\/p>\n

In one of its strongest assertions, the statement alleged that the ECI is \u201cnot an impartial institution\u201d but one \u201cpolitically aligned with the ruling dispensation.\u201d It demanded the reconstitution of the poll body through a transparent mechanism under parliamentary oversight.<\/p>\n

The group also warned against \u201cpossible manipulation\u201d<\/strong> in upcoming elections in states such as West Bengal, Tamil Nadu, Kerala, Assam, and Puducherry, citing concerns arising from the 2024 Lok Sabha elections. \u201cAs the primary and sovereign stakeholders, we strongly condemn ECI\u2019s actions,\u201d the statement read, adding that continued disregard for constitutional norms could trigger \u201can all-out democratic struggle.\u201d<\/p>\n

Broad-Based Support from Public Figures<\/strong><\/p>\n

The statement has been endorsed by a wide spectrum of prominent personalities,<\/strong> including former Supreme Court judge Justice B. Sudarshan Reddy, ex-IAS officer M.G. Devasahayam, political economist Parakala Prabhakar, actor Prakash Raj, Gandhian Tushar Gandhi, activist Yogendra Yadav, and writer Teesta Setalvad, among others.<\/p>\n

Framing the issue as a critical test of India\u2019s democratic integrity, the coalition reiterated its call for transparency, accountability, and restoration of voting rights. \u201cThe integrity of the electoral process must be preserved at all costs,\u201d it said.<\/p>\n

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Civil Society Coalition Alleges Mass Disenfranchisement, Demands Halt to Electoral Roll Revision Exercise, Questions ECI\u2019s Credibility Allegations of Exclusion and Bias Surface Across States A coalition of over 300 civil society leaders and public figures has called for an immediate halt to the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls, alleging large-scale disenfranchisement and systemic […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":13143,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[96],"tags":[73,1172,74,1341,1427],"class_list":["post-13142","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-politics","tag-bengaluru","tag-election-commission","tag-karnataka","tag-sir","tag-special-intensive-revision"],"a3_pvc":{"activated":true,"total_views":49,"today_views":0},"amp_enabled":true,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/indianow.me\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/13142","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/indianow.me\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/indianow.me\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/indianow.me\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/indianow.me\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=13142"}],"version-history":[{"count":3,"href":"https:\/\/indianow.me\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/13142\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":13147,"href":"https:\/\/indianow.me\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/13142\/revisions\/13147"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/indianow.me\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/media\/13143"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/indianow.me\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=13142"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/indianow.me\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=13142"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/indianow.me\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=13142"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}