ISLAMABAD: India’s opposition has escalated its battle over the country’s electoral process, approaching the Chief Justice of India to demand the suspension of the controversial Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of voter rolls, amid allegations that the exercise could disenfranchise millions of citizens.
According to the Indian media, 24 opposition parties and an independent parliamentarian signed a letter dated June 28, raising concerns over the SIR process and the functioning of the Election Commission of India. The letter was made public this week.
In the letter, opposition parties accused the Election Commission of India of conducting an “irregular and illegal” voter revision process and warned that public confidence in the country’s electoral system was being systematically eroded.
The move marks a fresh challenge to the democratic credentials of Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s government, which has repeatedly faced opposition allegations of weakening independent institutions and tilting the political playing field in favor of the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP).
The opposition warned that the SIR process could disproportionately exclude poor people, migrant workers, Dalits, Adivasis and religious minorities, groups that often struggle to produce extensive documentation demanded by authorities.
Opposition parties also alleged serious irregularities during the voter revision exercise, including names being removed from electoral rolls, forms allegedly being uploaded without voters’ knowledge and even cases where deceased people were reportedly shown as having submitted documents.
The controversy has further intensified concerns over the independence of the Election Commission, with the opposition accusing the constitutional body of failing to address repeated complaints about electoral transparency.
The parties have urged the Chief Justice to intervene and stop similar voter revision exercises from being expanded to other states until concerns over transparency, legality and possible mass disenfranchisement are addressed.
The opposition also questioned the continued use of electronic voting machines and suggested that India should consider returning to paper ballots to restore public confidence.
The latest confrontation adds to mounting political pressure on the Modi government as opposition parties increasingly frame the battle over voter rolls not merely as an administrative dispute, but as a struggle over the future of India’s democracy.
