Internal Election Commission Rift Exposes Centralisation Risks
· India · Indian Express, Times of India
An unprecedented rift within the Election Commission of India in New Delhi has brought critical vulnerabilities in the electoral process to light. Dissenting Election Commissioners Sukhbir Singh Sandhu and Vivek Joshi have flagged issues including centralised control over voter databases, bypassing ground-level Electoral Registration Officers. In Goa, 97 eligible voters verified by local EROs were reportedly left off the rolls because centrally controlled software at EC headquarters prevented their inclusion. The dispute also centers on unprocedural changes to Form 6 linked to the Special Intensive Revision and a breakdown of statutory majority decision-making within the three-member body. The internal opposition highlights a shift away from decentralized safeguards that historically protected the integrity of voter rolls.
Why it matters
Voters and regional election officials face diminished autonomy as centralized digital controls increasingly override local statutory decisions.
Read the original report — Indian Express
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