“Opposition Rages as Election Commission of India Launches Special Intensive Revision Amid Poll-Bound States”

In a volatile development, only hours after the Election Commission of India (ECI) announced that a Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls would be carried out in 12 states and Union Territories — including key opposition-ruled states such as Kerala, Tamil Nadu and West Bengal (which are due for elections next year) — the first forceful pushback came from Tamil Nadu under the government of M. K. Stalin.

Describing the exercise as a “conspiracy” intended to deprive the people of their voting rights, the Stalin government swiftly convened an all-party meeting on November 2 to strategise its response.

Opposition parties have been vocally opposed to the SIR ever since the ECI initiated it in Bihar. And now the same suspicion is intensifying in the states headed for next year’s polls.

Why the ECI is Conducting the SIR

• The ECI invoked its constitutional duty under Article 324 of the Indian Constitution and Section 21 of the Representation of the People Act to undertake the SIR, citing the need to ensure that only eligible citizens are registered and that the electoral rolls reflect current realities.
• In particular, the rollout began in Bihar because it is a state headed for Assembly elections and because the last intensive revision of its electoral rolls had been many years ago.
• The aim of the SIR is to:
  1. Include all genuine citizens above 18 who may not yet be on the rolls.
  2. Exclude those who are ineligible — non-citizens, duplicate entries, deceased or migrated electors — thereby safeguarding the integrity of the list.
• Given large-scale urbanisation, internal migration, and demographic changes over the last two decades, the ECI says the previous list had become stale and unreliable.
• The ECI emphasises that holding elections based on clean, accurate rolls is essential for the legitimacy of the democratic process.

Why the Opposition is Against It

• Critics across the opposition argue that the timing (on the eve of elections in several states) and the sweeping nature of the revision raise the danger of voter disenfranchisement, especially for marginalised communities, migrants, and women.
• They claim that requiring additional proof of date or place of birth for those registered after a certain date or stricter documentation may exclude large numbers of eligible voters.
• The opposition points out that the term “Special Intensive Revision” is not defined in the rule-book and that the ECI’s extraordinary exercise may lack a proper legal basis for the sweeping scope being used.
• There are accusations that the process is politically motivated — designed to favour the ruling party at the Centre by purging certain voters or shifting the electoral balance in states where power may change hands. For instance, in West Bengal, the ruling party has labelled it a “dress rehearsal” for manipulation.
• Logistical concerns are also raised: monitoring each eligible voter’s home-to-home during monsoon or migration-heavy periods, with tight deadlines, is said to risk error and exclusion rather than seamless inclusion.

What Are the Potential Benefits of the SIR

• If properly implemented, the SIR could lead to a clean voter register, making sure everyone eligible gets a chance to vote, and those who shouldn’t be on the list are removed — boosting the fairness of the ballot.
• Accurate rolls reduce the risk of duplicate voting, ghost voters and other irregularities which undermine public trust in elections. The ECI has cited these concerns in justifying the exercise.
• It can improve administrative effectiveness: for instance, linking migration patterns, ensuring polling station allocations are correct (so no station is overloaded), and helping outreach to first-time voters and migrants.
• Transparent revision might also increase confidence among citizens, leading to higher voter participation and stronger democratic legitimacy.

In short, the ECI says this is a necessary step to uphold democratic integrity; the opposition says the timing and execution risk disenfranchising vast numbers just before major state elections. As the SIR rolls out in states like Tamil Nadu, Kerala and West Bengal, the political heat is mounting — and so are the stakes.

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