The EC’s course correction on the voter roll revision

Having corrected its missteps, EC must now ensure every eligible voter, regardless of geography or background, remains empowered to vote

- K S TOMAR

Good sense has prevailed on the Election Commission of India (ECI), which appears to have drawn lessons from the controversy surrounding its earlier Bihar exercise.

By softening its tone, widening the scope, and focusing on inclusion rather than verification, the Commission has sought to balance the purity of electoral rolls with the sanctity of every citizen's right to vote. The decision to launch a Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls across 12 states and Union Territories marks a significant course correction in both method and message.

Political Storm over a Technical Exercise:

The October 27 announcement has sparked a political storm. Opposition parties allege that the SIR could become a "backdoor NRC" aimed at deleting legitimate voters, while the ruling BJP has hailed it as a long-overdue cleansing of inflated rolls.

In West Bengal, the Trinamool Congress accused the EC of acting at the BJP's behest, warning of "democratic protests" if genuine voters were struck off. Tamil Nadu CM MK Stalin called it "a conspiracy to rob citizens of their rights." The Left and Congress voiced similar apprehensions about its timing and transparency. Conversely, the BJP leaders in Bengal and Gujarat lauded it as an effort to "weed out illegal voters" and restore electoral integrity-echoing Union Home Minister's triad of "detect, delete, and deport".

From Verification to Inclusion:

The EC insists that the nationwide SIR is fundamentally different from Bihar's contentious pilot. The new guidelines stress inclusion and continuity instead of documentation and exclusion. The enumeration phase, beginning November 4, will map 51 crore electors across 12 states and UTs-including Uttar Pradesh, West Bengal, Kerala, Tamil Nadu, Rajasthan, Gujarat, and Madhya Pradesh-with draft rolls due on December 9.