Congress rebukes poll panel over readable electoral rolls
The Congress on Thursday accused the Election Commission of belatedly reversing its position on providing readable electoral rolls to political parties, describing the decision as inadequate and demanding the resignation of Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar.
Congress general secretary K C Venugopal said the notification allowing parties access to readable voter lists could not undo what he alleged was extensive damage to electoral integrity under the directions of Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Union Home Minister Amit Shah.
The criticism followed the Commission's announcement that political parties would, for the first time, receive readable electoral rolls at both draft and final stages, in printed and electronic formats, during the annual special summary revision of voter lists.
Venugopal described the decision as “too little, too late” and accused the election authorities of ignoring longstanding opposition demands for greater transparency in voter registration and deletion procedures.
“We have been demanding machine readable voter rolls since 2025. Transparency is the bare minimum, not something that absolves you of past crimes,” Venugopal wrote on X.
Addressing Kumar directly, the Congress leader demanded that he resign and cooperate with efforts to establish responsibility for alleged electoral irregularities. He claimed that the Commission's latest notification represented an acknowledgement of the opposition's concerns, although no such admission accompanied the announcement.
Venugopal alleged that electoral roll revisions had disenfranchised 13 crore people, describing the purported scale of voter exclusion as an act of treason. The allegation remains disputed, and the Commission has not accepted the Congress party's characterisation of the exercise.
He also demanded a comprehensive overhaul of election administration, including reversal of the special intensive revision, known as SIR, and changes to the procedure governing appointments to the Election Commission.
The Commission's announcement came alongside instructions for conducting the annual special summary revision across 17 states and Union territories, including jurisdictions scheduled to hold Assembly elections early next year.
The final electoral rolls for the jurisdictions covered by the exercise are scheduled for publication on January 4, providing an updated voter register ahead of the forthcoming electoral calendar.
Election officials explained that the special summary revision is an annual exercise prescribed under electoral law and is particularly significant in states approaching Assembly elections.
The Commission said political parties would receive the draft and final rolls in both hard-copy and electronic formats. Candidates contesting elections would also be provided access to the relevant electoral lists.
Electoral Registration Officers would make copies available for purchase by other eligible persons before polling, extending access beyond political organisations and candidates.
The distinction between readable and machine-readable electoral records has become central to the opposition's complaints about transparency. Digitally searchable information can assist parties in examining entries, identifying potential duplication and checking whether names have been removed or altered.
However, the precise technical specifications of the electronic rolls, including their suitability for automated analysis, were not established in the details accompanying Thursday's announcement.
That distinction matters because electronic copies do not necessarily provide the same functionality as structured datasets that can be searched, compared and analysed systematically.
Congress has argued that access to such information is essential for scrutinising electoral revisions and identifying discrepancies that might otherwise escape examination through conventional inspection of printed registers.
The party's criticism forms part of its broader challenge to the Commission's handling of the special intensive revision, which has generated disputes over voter eligibility, documentation requirements and deletions from electoral registers.
Opposition leaders maintain that eligible citizens must not lose voting rights because of administrative errors or insufficient opportunities to correct disputed entries.
The Commission has defended electoral roll revision as a necessary statutory exercise intended to maintain accurate registers by removing ineligible, duplicate and outdated entries while ensuring eligible citizens can enrol.
The disagreement also concerns institutional accountability. Congress has repeatedly questioned whether the election authorities have adequately addressed complaints raised by political parties about the accessibility and reliability of voter information.
Thursday's announcement covers jurisdictions where the intensive revision has already been completed. Assam underwent a different special revision process because of legal considerations affecting the exercise there.
The Commission has also instructed election officials to encourage eligible young people turning 18 on or before January 1 to submit enrolment applications.
That measure is intended to facilitate participation by first-time voters ahead of Assembly elections scheduled in Uttar Pradesh, Uttarakhand, Goa, Manipur and Punjab.
Congress general secretary K C Venugopal said the notification allowing parties access to readable voter lists could not undo what he alleged was extensive damage to electoral integrity under the directions of Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Union Home Minister Amit Shah.
The criticism followed the Commission's announcement that political parties would, for the first time, receive readable electoral rolls at both draft and final stages, in printed and electronic formats, during the annual special summary revision of voter lists.
Venugopal described the decision as “too little, too late” and accused the election authorities of ignoring longstanding opposition demands for greater transparency in voter registration and deletion procedures.
“We have been demanding machine readable voter rolls since 2025. Transparency is the bare minimum, not something that absolves you of past crimes,” Venugopal wrote on X.
Addressing Kumar directly, the Congress leader demanded that he resign and cooperate with efforts to establish responsibility for alleged electoral irregularities. He claimed that the Commission's latest notification represented an acknowledgement of the opposition's concerns, although no such admission accompanied the announcement.
Venugopal alleged that electoral roll revisions had disenfranchised 13 crore people, describing the purported scale of voter exclusion as an act of treason. The allegation remains disputed, and the Commission has not accepted the Congress party's characterisation of the exercise.
He also demanded a comprehensive overhaul of election administration, including reversal of the special intensive revision, known as SIR, and changes to the procedure governing appointments to the Election Commission.
The Commission's announcement came alongside instructions for conducting the annual special summary revision across 17 states and Union territories, including jurisdictions scheduled to hold Assembly elections early next year.
The final electoral rolls for the jurisdictions covered by the exercise are scheduled for publication on January 4, providing an updated voter register ahead of the forthcoming electoral calendar.
Election officials explained that the special summary revision is an annual exercise prescribed under electoral law and is particularly significant in states approaching Assembly elections.
The Commission said political parties would receive the draft and final rolls in both hard-copy and electronic formats. Candidates contesting elections would also be provided access to the relevant electoral lists.
Electoral Registration Officers would make copies available for purchase by other eligible persons before polling, extending access beyond political organisations and candidates.
The distinction between readable and machine-readable electoral records has become central to the opposition's complaints about transparency. Digitally searchable information can assist parties in examining entries, identifying potential duplication and checking whether names have been removed or altered.
However, the precise technical specifications of the electronic rolls, including their suitability for automated analysis, were not established in the details accompanying Thursday's announcement.
That distinction matters because electronic copies do not necessarily provide the same functionality as structured datasets that can be searched, compared and analysed systematically.
Congress has argued that access to such information is essential for scrutinising electoral revisions and identifying discrepancies that might otherwise escape examination through conventional inspection of printed registers.
The party's criticism forms part of its broader challenge to the Commission's handling of the special intensive revision, which has generated disputes over voter eligibility, documentation requirements and deletions from electoral registers.
Opposition leaders maintain that eligible citizens must not lose voting rights because of administrative errors or insufficient opportunities to correct disputed entries.
The Commission has defended electoral roll revision as a necessary statutory exercise intended to maintain accurate registers by removing ineligible, duplicate and outdated entries while ensuring eligible citizens can enrol.
The disagreement also concerns institutional accountability. Congress has repeatedly questioned whether the election authorities have adequately addressed complaints raised by political parties about the accessibility and reliability of voter information.
Thursday's announcement covers jurisdictions where the intensive revision has already been completed. Assam underwent a different special revision process because of legal considerations affecting the exercise there.
The Commission has also instructed election officials to encourage eligible young people turning 18 on or before January 1 to submit enrolment applications.
That measure is intended to facilitate participation by first-time voters ahead of Assembly elections scheduled in Uttar Pradesh, Uttarakhand, Goa, Manipur and Punjab.