Record voter turnout in the shadow of exclusion

The election commission has further discredited itself when lakhs of people were denied their right to vote

High voter turnout has become the norm in recent elections, as seen in the current round of Assembly polls across India. Earlier this month, Assam, Kerala, and Puducherry saw high voter turnout in the elections. The elections held on April 23 in Tamil Nadu and West Bengal have seen still higher percentages. Tamil Nadu recorded a high 85.11 per cent voter turnout, much higher than the 74.5 per cent in the 2021 Assembly polls. West Bengal registered a historically high 93 per cent, and one constituency in Cooch Behar saw an astonishing 96 per cent turnout.

The high percentages were mainly the result of the shrinking of
the electorate caused by the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of the electoral rolls undertaken by the Election Commission of India. Political and other factors may have played a role, but the usual linkage between high voter turnout and anti-incumbency sentiment cannot be invoked in these elections.

The elections in West Bengal draw special attention not only for the very high turnout but also for the circumstances surrounding the SIR exercise and the nature of the electoral contest. The SIR exercise in the state was much more rigorous than in other states. Millions of people were left disenfranchised by the controversial logical discrepancy category, which was special to the SIR process in West Bengal.

The Supreme Court allowed those whose names were cleared by appellate tribunals to vote in the elections. Out of 1.4 million people who applied for clearance of their names, only 139 people were allowed to vote. Even if it is accepted that all the lakhs of people who have gone to the tribunals for clearance may not be genuine voters, it is clear how unfair and even farcical the election has turned out to be. 

The intent for exclusion of a large number of voters was built into the design and process of the SIR exercise in West Bengal. If the turnout touched very high levels, even after the exclusion of many voters, it was because of the fear and apprehension that the process created among voters. Most voters thought that their names would be deleted from the rolls if they did not record their votes this time. Apart from the voters within West Bengal who did not want to miss their voting right, those working outside the state travelled to their constituencies to vote. Democracy has gained from the voters’ rush, regardless of who ultimately benefits politically. At the same time, the election commission has further discredited itself when it created the situation in which lakhs of genuine voters were denied their right to vote.