The Election Commission of India (ECI), once hailed as the guardian of the world’s largest democracy, is today standing at a critical crossroads. The institution that once battled booth capturing and ballot manipulation in the 1980s and 90s with historic interventions—like the introduction of Electronic Voting Machines (EVMs)—is now accused of colluding with the ruling dispensation to manipulate not just machines, but the very bedrock of democracy: the electoral roll.
A Constitutional Beacon Dimmed
Created under Article 324 of the Constitution of India, the Election Commission was envisioned as an autonomous constitutional authority tasked with conducting free and fair elections. Through the 1950s to 1990s, it fought valiantly against systemic corruption, muscle power, and vote bank manipulation. The shift from ballot papers to EVMs was a revolutionary step—making elections quicker, tamper-resistant, and more transparent. The ECI earned accolades under T.N. Seshan’s leadership, who restored its dignity and independence, establishing a template of fearless functioning.
From Machines to Manipulated Lists
Yet, the present challenges eclipse the past. The problem is no longer about booth capturing—it is about invisible manipulation, happening within the data-driven architecture of democracy. In an explosive press conference, Congress leader Rahul Gandhi exposed what he termed an “atom bomb” of evidence pointing to large-scale voter list manipulation in the Mahadevapura Assembly segment of Bangalore Central Lok Sabha constituency.
His detailed analysis revealed a blueprint of election rigging:
1. Duplicate Voter Entries: A single voter, Gurkeerat Singh Dang, allegedly found registered in four different booths with distinct EPIC numbers.
2. Invalid Addresses: Over 40,000 voters with fictitious addresses like "Street 0" or "House No. 0".
3. Bulk Voters in Small Dwellings: Up to 80 people registered at a single house, and in another case, 50 voters in a one-bedroom unit.
4. Unrecognizable or Blank Photos: Voter images that defy identification, undermining verification.
5. Misuse of Form-6A: Intended for first-time voters, this form was allegedly misused to register older citizens, including some over 90 years of age.
These revelations are not isolated. Similar patterns have emerged in Maharashtra, where one crore new voters were added within five months of the Lok Sabha election—enough to overturn the INDIA bloc's earlier lead. In Haryana, the BJP clinched victory by a wafer-thin margin of 22,779 votes—just enough to deny Congress, even when ground reports indicated growing discontent against the ruling party.
Election Commission’s Silence and Shifting Role
Instead of ordering an inquiry into the serious charges raised, the ECI demanded an affidavit from Rahul Gandhi. Such a move raises legitimate concerns: is the Commission now a passive receiver of grievances or the active enforcer of electoral integrity?
What further fuels suspicion is ECI’s refusal to provide a digital copy of the electoral roll, despite Section 2(f) of the RTI Act, 2005, which defines digital data as “information” and mandates its public availability. The denial suggests a deliberate attempt to avoid scrutiny—especially when technology enables real-time transparency.
The rot appears deeper. The Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of voter rolls in Bihar has seen the deletion of 65 lakh names from the draft list. The ECI justified it by citing deaths, migration, or foreign nationality. But civil society, opposition parties, and now the Supreme Court have questioned the arbitrary nature of these deletions. Notably, Aadhaar cards, MNREGA cards, EPICs, and ration cards were excluded as valid proofs during verification. This disproportionately affects Dalits, minorities, and migrant laborers—vulnerable communities with limited access to formal birth documents.
Changing the Rules Mid-Game
Perhaps the most damning change is the alteration in the selection process of Election Commissioners. A new law removes the Chief Justice of India from the panel, replacing him with a Union Minister—thereby handing the power of appointment directly to the executive. This seismic shift was pushed through just before the Bihar elections, raising serious alarms about timing and intent.
Is this preparation for a broader agenda?
Whispers in policy circles suggest that BJP maintains a curated database of phantom voters, ready to be injected into voter lists across states like West Bengal, Tamil Nadu, and Kerala ahead of elections. The plan: stack the rolls with “supporters,” subtract likely opposition voters, and let the ECI’s blind eye do the rest.
This is eerily reminiscent of what the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) alleged in the Delhi Assembly polls—a systematic addition and deletion of voters that went unaddressed, leading to a skewed final result. The same patterns repeat themselves, and the ECI refuses to act, respond, or even acknowledge the depth of the crisis.
A Judiciary that Echoes, but Doesn’t Intervene
Even the Supreme Court, which has previously rebuked the ECI for “en masse deletions,” appears increasingly docile. Whether it's the Babri Masjid-Ram Janmabhoomi verdict, the abrogation of Article 370, or the Electoral Bonds case, a trend has emerged—strong questions are raised during hearings, only to be silenced by verdicts that endorse the government's narrative with cosmetic caveats.
The democratic process now seems tightly managed—from ballot to bench.
The Crisis We Cannot Ignore
This is not just electoral fraud. This is data-driven disenfranchisement, orchestrated invisibly, executed institutionally, and ignored judicially. The ECI is no longer a neutral umpire—it behaves like a front office of the ruling party.
In an era where a few thousand votes can decide a government, the manipulation of even a single constituency is enough to flip national outcomes. From voter list rigging to last-minute mass voting surges post 5 PM, from Form-6A exploitation to bulk registrations in one-bedroom homes, the signs are clear. A sophisticated electoral coup is underway—and the cat is finally out of the box.
The burden of proof no longer rests with the accuser, but on the Election Commission. It must now either act with integrity or be remembered as the institution that silently watched democracy die in broad daylight.
References:
1. Constitution of India – Article 324
2. RTI Act, 2005 – Section 2(f)
3. Rahul Gandhi’s Press Conference on Mahadevapura Voter List, June 2025
4. Election Commission Notification: SIR Bihar (27 March 2024)
5. Supreme Court Hearings – Electoral Roll Deletion Case (2024–25)
6. Aam Aadmi Party Allegations – Delhi Assembly Elections 2020 & 2024
7. Representation of the People Act, 1950 and 1951
8. Law changing appointment of Election Commissioners – The Chief Election Commissioner and Other Election Commissioners (Appointment, Conditions of Service and Term of Office) Act, 2023
9. Analysis from CSDS, ADR, and former Election Commissioners (T.S. Krishnamurthy, S.Y. Quraishi interviews)
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