Panel asks EC to ensure fair voter process drive amid questions raised about electoral rolls revision

Amid questions raised about the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls) a Parliamentary panel has asked the Election Commission to ensure that uniform process should be applied to the exercise and that no voter is subjected to undue hardship during the process.

The recommendation by the Parliamentary Standing Committee on Personnel, Public Grievances, Law and Justice came in its report on the Demands for Grants (2026-27) of the Legislative Department under the Ministry of Law and Justice tabled in Parliament recently.

The multi-party panel headed by senior BJP MP Brij Lal said the SIR should be carried out in a fair, transparent and inclusive manner, ensuring that no genuine elector is excluded and that electors are not subjected to undue hardship during the revision process.

The panel emphasises the need for adequate safeguards for vulnerable sections, including senior citizens, persons with disabilities, economically weaker sections and migrant populations.

In its recommendation, the panel said the EC should put in place robust monitoring mechanisms at all levels to ensure uniform implementation of the revision process.

It should also ensure strict adherence to data privacy and security protocols in respect of documents uploaded on the Election Commission Integrated Network (ECINET).

These measures would help enhance transparency and strengthen public confidence in the integrity of the electoral rolls, it said.

The SIR exercise has attracted criticism from the Opposition and a section of the civil society, which alleged that it was an exercise of exclusion.

With the electoral rolls of 11 of 12 states and UTs that underwent SIR is out, the total number of deletions have risen to 3,46,20,814 or 9.74% of 35,53,14,331 voters after the SIR on 27 October, 2026. Now, the total number of voters in ten states have come down to 31,86,93,690. The final electoral list of Uttar Pradesh will be out only in April.

In West Bengal, around names of 60.06 lakh voters, who details had logical discrepancies, are under adjudication by judicial officers and those who are cleared will find their names added to the voter list by way of a supplementary list.