<p>West Bengal has witnessed a serious miscarriage of electoral justice under the Election Commission of India (ECI), disenfranchising lakhs of voters in the poll-bound state. The Commission adjudicated the credentials of about six million voters as part of its controversial Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls; 45 per cent – more than 27 lakh people – were found ineligible to vote. The highest number of voter deletions has been reported in the state’s Muslim-majority districts. Names of people who voted in earlier elections have been deleted in large numbers. About 91 lakh names were deleted from the state’s voter list since the SIR process commenced, shrinking the electorate by about 12 per cent, from 7.66 crore in October 2025 to 6.75 crore now. It is disconcerting that voting, a constitutional right with universal application in the country, is under threat now. This is a critical point in India’s electoral system – its biggest ever challenge, ironically posed by its custodian agency.</p><p>The ECI’s voter list revision in other states was also contentious and met opposition over procedural discrepancies. Proactive interventions by the Supreme Court helped resolve many of these issues. The roll revisions in these states appear to have set the tone for the exercise in West Bengal, which is on the run-up to a high-stakes election. In Bihar, the apex court forced the Commission to be transparent with the data on exclusions in the rolls. However, in West Bengal, the revision involved more complicated procedures, pushing millions into adjudication, where even minor discrepancies and mismatches were held against the voter. The responsibility for proving eligibility was passed on to the voter in a system known for poor documentation, protracted procedures, and official lethargy, within a narrow window for corrections.</p>.The world pays for the wealth of a few.<p>The Supreme Court rejected the plea to delay the freezing of the electoral rolls to provide a chance for the excluded 27 lakh voters to vote. It said the appellate tribunals would decide on pending appeals against the deletions. This will entail a long process of redress that is yet to gather pace – the elections are scheduled in two phases, on April 23 and 29. The absence of lakhs of voters from the rolls can potentially influence the electoral outcome. An election conducted after such a large-scale exclusion cannot be fair or credible. The onus is on the Court to intervene and reset the system, again, and enable every citizen to exercise their democratic right.</p>
<p>West Bengal has witnessed a serious miscarriage of electoral justice under the Election Commission of India (ECI), disenfranchising lakhs of voters in the poll-bound state. The Commission adjudicated the credentials of about six million voters as part of its controversial Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls; 45 per cent – more than 27 lakh people – were found ineligible to vote. The highest number of voter deletions has been reported in the state’s Muslim-majority districts. Names of people who voted in earlier elections have been deleted in large numbers. About 91 lakh names were deleted from the state’s voter list since the SIR process commenced, shrinking the electorate by about 12 per cent, from 7.66 crore in October 2025 to 6.75 crore now. It is disconcerting that voting, a constitutional right with universal application in the country, is under threat now. This is a critical point in India’s electoral system – its biggest ever challenge, ironically posed by its custodian agency.</p><p>The ECI’s voter list revision in other states was also contentious and met opposition over procedural discrepancies. Proactive interventions by the Supreme Court helped resolve many of these issues. The roll revisions in these states appear to have set the tone for the exercise in West Bengal, which is on the run-up to a high-stakes election. In Bihar, the apex court forced the Commission to be transparent with the data on exclusions in the rolls. However, in West Bengal, the revision involved more complicated procedures, pushing millions into adjudication, where even minor discrepancies and mismatches were held against the voter. The responsibility for proving eligibility was passed on to the voter in a system known for poor documentation, protracted procedures, and official lethargy, within a narrow window for corrections.</p>.The world pays for the wealth of a few.<p>The Supreme Court rejected the plea to delay the freezing of the electoral rolls to provide a chance for the excluded 27 lakh voters to vote. It said the appellate tribunals would decide on pending appeals against the deletions. This will entail a long process of redress that is yet to gather pace – the elections are scheduled in two phases, on April 23 and 29. The absence of lakhs of voters from the rolls can potentially influence the electoral outcome. An election conducted after such a large-scale exclusion cannot be fair or credible. The onus is on the Court to intervene and reset the system, again, and enable every citizen to exercise their democratic right.</p>
