The Indian-American Congresswoman flags concerns over the Special Intensive Revision of electoral rolls and its potential implications for voters’ rights
Indian-American Congresswoman Pramila Jayapal has expressed concern over reports that around 130 million names have been removed from draft electoral rolls in India, drawing comparisons with disputes over voting rights in the United States.
Jayapal, a Democratic representative from Washington state, raised the issue in a post on social media platform X on Wednesday. She said she was deeply concerned about the reported deletions, arguing that similar approaches could undermine voting rights in democracies.
She also voiced support for non-violent protests against what she described as anti-democratic efforts, saying people in India, like those in the United States, deserved free and fair elections. Her remarks have brought fresh international attention to the controversy surrounding India’s voter-list revision exercise.
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The controversy centres on the Election Commission of India’s Special Intensive Revision (SIR), an exercise intended to update electoral rolls and identify entries that are no longer valid
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The process has led to substantial reductions in the number of names appearing on draft voter lists across several states and Union Territories
The Election Commission has maintained that the revision aims to ensure accurate electoral rolls by removing duplicate entries and the names of deceased, shifted or otherwise ineligible voters. Critics, however, have raised concerns about eligible citizens being left out and the procedures required to restore their names.
Earlier this month, the poll panel directed states and Union Territories where the exercise had been completed to conduct special enrolment drives for eligible voters missing from the rolls. The initiative is intended to provide an opportunity for affected citizens to seek inclusion.
The issue has also reached the courts. On October 14, the Supreme Court advanced a hearing concerning complaints that some voters whose names had been omitted were being asked to submit Form 6, ordinarily used for new voter registration, to seek inclusion again.
Jayapal’s intervention adds an international dimension to the debate over electoral transparency, voter access and the safeguards needed to ensure that eligible citizens can exercise their democratic rights.
