New Delhi [India], October 8 – Pressure is mounting on India’s Election Commission over the removal of millions of names from voter lists during a nationwide Special Intensive Revision (SIR) with opposition parties demanding the resignation of Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar.
The controversy intensified after an investigation by The Indian Express reported that Election Commissioners Sukhbir Singh Sandhu and Vivek Joshi had formally objected at least 14 times over 10 months to decisions related to the voter-roll revision.
The Election Commission has rejected the allegations saying differences expressed during the process were part of decision-making and that its decisions were unanimous.
More than 13 crore names were removed from draft electoral rolls across 30 states and Union territories. The Commission says the exercise is aimed at identifying duplicate or ineligible entries while critics have raised concerns that eligible voters could be excluded.
The issue has triggered protests in New Delhi and other parts of India. Opposition leader Rahul Gandhi and other lawmakers were detained during demonstrations demanding Kumar’s resignation.
The dispute has also reached the courts with petitions filed in the Supreme Court and Bombay High Court challenging aspects of the SIR process and the Election Commission’s functioning.
Security has meanwhile been strengthened outside Kumar’s residence following new threat intelligence and amid continuing protests in the capital.
