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'Criminal Liability': Former CEC Slams Electoral Roll Revision

Former Chief Election Commissioner SY Quraishi on Sunday raised concerns over the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls, alleging that genuine voters had been deleted in large numbers and calling for accountability from the Election Commission.

Speaking on the SIR exercise, Quraishi said, "Genuine voters have been deleted in very large numbers, and even one genuine voter deleted is a blot on the Election Commission. They have to be accountable. I would even call it a criminal liability." He questioned the grounds on which voters were allegedly removed from electoral rolls, saying, "How can you take away the constitutional right of somebody to be enrolled on flimsy grounds, on very bureaucratic grounds?"

Quraishi also questioned the stated objective of identifying illegal immigrants through the SIR exercise. "The reason they had given was to find illegal immigrants. Please tell us, how many have you found? In one and a half years, you have not given even one figure. So, what have you achieved? What was your mission?" he said. "If your mission was something else—to delete genuine voters—congratulations, you have achieved it," he added.

EC Defends Exercise Amid Political Backlash

The remarks came amid a political debate over the SIR of electoral rolls being carried out in several states.

According to the Election Commission of India, the SIR exercise aims to ensure that electoral rolls are accurate, updated and free of ineligible or duplicate entries, while ensuring that no eligible voter is excluded. The nationwide SIR was announced in October 2025 by Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar, who cited factors including migration, voters registered at multiple locations, names not being deleted after death and inclusion of foreign nationals in electoral rolls as reasons behind the revision.

The exercise has faced criticism from Opposition parties, particularly in poll-bound states, with allegations that genuine voters could be excluded from electoral lists.

Concerns in Maharashtra and Opposition Outcry

The issue recently drew attention in Maharashtra after the draft voter list under the SIR reportedly showed a decline in the number of electors compared to the previous electoral roll. According to data released by the Maharashtra Chief Electoral Officer, out of 9,78,54,049 electors, 7,71,65,562 submitted their forms during the enumeration phase as of August 17.

Opposition leaders, including Congress leader Pawan Khera, have also criticised the exercise, alleging large-scale voter deletions.

The Election Commission has maintained that the revision process is aimed at improving the accuracy of electoral rolls and removing duplicate or ineligible entries while protecting the rights of eligible voters. (ANI)