EC unanimous on voter roll revision, officials say amid opposition allegations of bias
· India · Times of India, India Today
The Election Commission upheld its decision on the Special Intensive Revision of voter rolls, declaring it unanimous despite objections from two commissioners flagged by Indian Express. Although Election Commissioners Sukhbir Singh Sandhu and Vivek Joshi flagged multiple issues over the roll revision process, all decisions including the deletion of names across states were approved with the Chief Election Commissioner's concurrence. The clarification follows the poll panel's response to claims that commissioners had objected 14 times in 10 months. Officials noted the law and a Supreme Court judgment require decisions to be taken unanimously whenever possible. Meanwhile, opposition parties including Samajwadi Party chief Akhilesh Yadav accused the EC of plotting to target voters not aligned to the BJP, urging the Supreme Court to take suo motu cognisance and alleging the panel had become a 'puppet of those in power.'
Why it matters
Opposition parties and civil society groups are directly affected as the controversy centres on whether the voter list purification drive systematically targets electors not aligned with the BJP and its allies, raising concerns about electoral fairness ahead of upcoming polls. The EC's insistence on unanimity amid claims of partisan bias threatens perceptions of the panel's independence and could influence voter trust in the electoral process.
Read the original report — Times of India
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