Bhopal, Sep 23 – A controversy has erupted over the Election Commission of India’s conduct of the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls, prompting former Chief Election Commissioner O.P. Rawat to describe the exclusion of eligible voters as a “grave sin.” The dispute began after a leading newspaper reported that two Election Commissioners had “objected on record” to several decisions made by the poll panel, allegedly without their knowledge. The Election Commission has denied the claim.
In a statement to IANS, Rawat said that differing opinions exist and that the best remedy would be for all three Election Commissioners to sit together and clarify the matter in a press conference. He added that a decision can only be taken by consensus or by a majority vote, and not otherwise, implying that the alleged dissent could not have led to a decision.
Rawat also acknowledged that the SIR process has suffered from mistakes since its inception in Bihar. He noted that the Commission has made gradual improvements, but that a recent appellate tribunal ruling in West Bengal found that 93 per cent of voters who had been excluded were actually eligible and should have been added back to the rolls. He said the exclusion deprived those voters of the opportunity to vote and called it a grave sin that should be avoided through a thorough review of the SIR process.
The Election Commission on Wednesday reaffirmed that every officer in the institution is fully authorised to offer suggestions for improving the electoral system, while stressing that several unanimous decisions have been taken in recent months. It said that differing views, observations and suggestions are a normal part of deliberations within any institution and that the decision‑making process involves not only the three Election Commissioners but also officials across the organisation.
