India’s Drive to Verify a Billion Voters Puts Election Commission Under Scrutiny

India’s nationwide drive to verify the eligibility of roughly one billion voters has intensified scrutiny of the Election Commission of India, with opposition parties raising concerns over voter exclusions and the administration of electoral rolls.

The verification exercise began in Bihar ahead of last year’s election and has since expanded to most Indian states. The process became contentious after voters in Bihar and West Bengal reported that their names were missing from draft electoral lists. Election officials maintain that names can be removed for reasons including death, duplication, relocation or inability to trace a voter.

The controversy has deepened following reports that two election commissioners raised objections to aspects of the process 14 times over 10 months. The Election Commission has defended its procedures, saying its decisions comply with the law and that differences within the commission are not unusual.

Local reports indicate that about 130 million names were excluded from a first draft list and that affected voters must establish their eligibility before final registration. In Bihar, around 6.5 million voters were excluded during last year’s revision.

The Election Commission has since introduced measures including home visits to collect documents and extended verification deadlines in some areas, while voters retain avenues to challenge exclusions.