ECI’s Nationwide Voter List Revision: SDPI Warns of Disenfranchisement

Mohammad Shafi, National Vice President of the Social Democratic Party of India vehemently condemns the Election Commission of India’s decision to extend the controversial Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls, initiated in Bihar, to all states with a qualifying date of January 1, 2026. Following our July 10, 2025, statement denouncing the Bihar SIR as a “disenfranchisement drive targeting marginalized communities,” we view this nationwide expansion as an alarming escalation that undermines the constitutional right to vote under Article 326.

The ECI’s directive, issued on July 5, 2025, to prepare for SIRs across India, mirrors the Bihar exercise’s flawed approach—stringent documentation, short timelines, and exclusion of accessible IDs like Aadhaar, voter ID, and ration cards. This risks excluding millions, particularly Dalits, Muslims, Scheduled Tribes, and migrant workers, who face barriers accessing the ECI’s 11 specified documents due to poverty and low documentation rates. The Supreme Court’s July 10, 2025, concerns about Bihar’s SIR, including its potential to disenfranchise voters, apply equally to this nationwide plan, especially in states like West Bengal, where similar revisions are imminent.

SDPI rejects the ECI’s claim of ensuring “clean rolls,” as the abrupt shift of the burden of proof onto voters and the lack of transparent consultation with political parties suggest political motives. The rushed process, following a recent summary revision (October 2024–January 2025), raises suspicions of a coordinated effort to suppress votes ahead of 2025–2026 elections. We demand the ECI halt this expansion, extend verification timelines, accept widely held IDs, and ensure robust appeals processes to prevent arbitrary deletions. SDPI stands with India’s voters and will pursue legal and public action to protect democracy, urging the Supreme Court to intervene decisively.