Supreme Court Verdict Unmasks ECI’s Voter Deletion Scandal

The Supreme Court’s directive compelling the Election Commission of India to publish booth-wise details of approximately 65 lakh deleted voters marks a decisive victory for democracy, transparency, and the constitutional rights of every citizen. The order from Justices Surya Kant and Joymalya Bagchi not only mandates public disclosure of explicit reasons for each deletion but also requires both online accessibility via EPIC numbers and physical display at panchayat and block offices. This is to be accompanied by wide publicity through newspapers, radio, Doordarshan, and social media. Crucially, the court’s acceptance of Aadhaar as valid proof to challenge deletions closes a glaring loophole, ensuring that no eligible voter is cast aside arbitrarily.

This landmark verdict lays bare the Election Commission’s alarming failures—marked by calculated secrecy and a blatant disregard for natural justice. The Special Intensive Revision exercise launched on June 24, 2025, mere months before Bihar’s critical assembly polls, led to the exclusion of 65 lakh names—6.62% of the state’s 7.89 crore electorate—from the draft roll published on August 1. Official justifications cite deaths (around 22 lakh), duplicates (7 lakh), and migration or untraceability (35 lakh). Yet these mass deletions were carried out without prior notice, hearings, or adherence to the principles of fairness enshrined in Articles 14, 19, and 21 of the Constitution. The Commission’s initial refusal to publish a separate list of excluded voters, despite persistent demands from civil society and opposition parties, reeks of deliberate concealment. This is not a clerical lapse but an institutional malpractice that shifts the burden of proof onto vulnerable citizens, forcing them to re-verify their eligibility through restrictive documents—while excluding widely held IDs like Aadhaar, PAN, and ration cards until compelled by the court.

The Modi administration must answer for enabling this audacious voter purge under the guise of electoral reform. In a state already grappling with poverty and large-scale migration, the deletions disproportionately target marginalized groups—migrants, minorities, the poor, and opposition strongholds—threatening to disenfranchise millions and tilt the scales toward the ruling regime. Compressed timelines, the absence of statutory backing for such an intensive revision since 2003, and the Election Commission’s evasive conduct all point to a politically motivated conspiracy to predetermine the outcome of the November 2025 polls. Recent reports of erroneous inclusions—such as deceased individuals and mismatched photographs—further expose the scale of malpractice.

The SDPI has long warned against this disenfranchisement drive, seeing it as a direct assault on democratic integrity. We demand immediate accountability from the Election Commission and the central government, along with a nationwide suspension of similar revision exercises until full transparency is guaranteed. This verdict must be treated as a turning point: the people of India will not tolerate electoral fraud. We call on every citizen to check their voter status and file claims to protect their franchise. The SDPI reaffirms its unwavering commitment to justice, equality, and free and fair elections.

Mohammad Shafi
National Vice President
Social Democratic Party of India