The Election Commission of India (EC), once known for surfacing in the news only during elections, is now in the spotlight almost every day — and often for the wrong reasons. Two major political issues have cast doubt on its neutrality: the controversial revision of electoral rolls in Bihar and the allegation of “vote theft” raised by Leader of the Opposition Rahul Gandhi.
The special intensive revision of electoral rolls in Bihar has been mired in controversy from the start. The EC has not explained why it initiated the exercise just months after publishing a revised roll in January, when preparations for elections were already underway.
Traditionally, the EC is tasked with including every eligible Indian citizen above the age of 18 in the rolls. But this time, it suddenly required voters to “prove their residence.” Based on the 2003 revision exercise, it demanded documents beyond Aadhaar, voter ID, or ration cards — dismissing them as unreliable. The Commission insisted on 11 specific proofs, which most people in Bihar did not possess. As a result, millions were unable to submit forms.
After criticism, the EC issued a July 6 advertisement saying, “Even without documents, fill in the form. Polling officials will verify locally.” Despite this assurance, the draft roll published later excluded around 65 lakh voters. The Commission attributed the deletions to:
22.34 lakh deaths
36.28 lakh permanent migrations or untraceable cases
7.01 lakh duplicate registrations
Yet, concerns remain. Many forms were marked “not recommended” without clear reasons. Most of those excluded were women, puzzling observers since migrant workers are mostly men. Civil rights groups have also noted higher omissions in Muslim-dominated districts.
Adding to the absurdity, the list included improbable entries: Minita Devi (124 years), Asha Devi (120), and Manathuria Devi (119) — all listed as first-time voters.
Meanwhile, Rahul Gandhi has accused the EC of allowing large-scale irregularities in Karnataka’s Mahadevapura Assembly constituency. The BJP won the Bengaluru Central seat in the 2024 Lok Sabha polls, with Mahadevapura contributing a margin of over 1.14 lakh votes.
Congress scrutiny of the voter list revealed:
11,965 voters registered in multiple locations
40,009 fake addresses
10,452 fraudulent presences at a single location
4,132 fake photographs
33,692 wrongly enrolled as first-time voters
Examples cited include 46 voters in a one-room house, 80 voters at the same address, and 68 voters registered at a brewery (153 Biere Club). Some records carried absurd details like a father’s name listed as “dfojgaidf,” and house numbers marked simply as “0.”
Rahul Gandhi warned this could be a nationwide issue, also pointing to similar discrepancies in Maharashtra and Haryana. He further questioned why parties are not given rolls in a digital, searchable format. Even in Bihar, the draft rolls were first uploaded as PDFs and later replaced with scanned images — making them harder to verify.
Instead of addressing the substance of the allegations, the EC demanded that Gandhi either file a formal affidavit or apologize to the people of India. State commissions in Karnataka, Maharashtra, and Haryana also issued notices to him. Critics note this is the first time the Commission has reacted so aggressively to an opposition leader’s charge.
While perfection in voter rolls is nearly impossible, experts argue the EC should focus on correcting errors rather than silencing critics. Neutrality, they say, can only be proven through transparency and accountability.
Concerns over transparency are not new. During the Punjab Assembly elections last year, a lawyer sought CCTV footage of polling booths. The Punjab and Haryana High Court upheld the request, citing Section 93(2)(a) of the Model Code of Conduct (1961), which allows public access to election-related documents.
But the Union Law Ministry quickly amended the law, limiting public access. When questioned, then Chief Election Commissioner Rajiv Kumar dismissed the demand, saying:
“Polling runs for 10 hours across 10.5 lakh stations. That makes about one crore hours of footage. Even at eight hours of viewing daily, it would take 3,600 years to finish watching. Why ask for this?”
Earlier, Election Commissioners were appointed by a committee of the Prime Minister, Leader of the Opposition, and the Chief Justice of India. After a Supreme Court directive, Parliament last year passed a new law — replacing the Chief Justice with a Union Cabinet Minister nominated by the Prime Minister. Critics argue this change gives the ruling party unchecked power over appointments.
Resignations from the EC are rare. Yet, in the last five years, two senior commissioners have quit abruptly.
Ashok Lavasa (2018–2020): Reportedly opposed giving a clean chit to PM Modi and Amit Shah for alleged hate speech violations during the 2019 elections. Soon after, his family faced IT and ED scrutiny. He stopped attending EC meetings and resigned in August 2020, later becoming Vice President of the Asian Development Bank.
Arun Goel (appointed 2022): Resigned suddenly in March 2024, just days before the Lok Sabha election schedule was announced. Officially citing “personal reasons,” reports suggest differences with Chief Election Commissioner Rajiv Kumar. He was later appointed Ambassador to Croatia.
From Bihar’s flawed voter rolls to Karnataka’s “vote theft” allegations, from shrinking transparency to controversial appointments, the Election Commission today faces a crisis of credibility.
The core question remains: Can the Election Commission rise above politics and prove its neutrality? The answer will decide not just its reputation but also the health of India’s democracy.