AHMEDABAD, Sept 10: Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar on Thursday assured that complaints concerning the exclusion of names from electoral rolls following the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) exercise would be resolved before the next Lok Sabha elections.
Speaking at an event organised by the Ahmedabad Management Association, Kumar responded confidently when asked whether the large number of complaints received during the revision could be addressed in time. He said they would be resolved “110 per cent” before the next general elections.
The CEC said the exercise was aimed at ensuring that electoral rolls accurately reflected eligible voters by identifying people who were absent, had shifted residence, were deceased, appeared more than once on the rolls or were foreign nationals.
He said the Election Commission, as a constitutional authority, relies on documentary evidence while carrying out the verification process. Individuals may be required to submit their own documents or those of their parents to establish their eligibility as Indian citizens.
Kumar said voters whose names are missing from the rolls have several avenues to challenge the decision. A complaint can first be submitted to the Sub-Divisional Magistrate (SDM). If the matter is rejected, an appeal can be made before the district collector, followed by a second appeal to the state Chief Electoral Officer. Legal recourse is also available through the courts.
He said that in some states where the revision has been undertaken, election authorities had received no appeals against certain deletions, adding that he regularly monitors the process.
Addressing criticism of the Election Commission, Kumar said criticism is an essential part of democracy and constitutional institutions must be prepared to face scrutiny.
“We should have stronger and stronger shoulders to take these bullets every single day,” he said, adding that he did not believe a specific boundary could be imposed on criticism.
The CEC also highlighted the scale and transparency of India’s electoral machinery, saying elections are conducted in accordance with the Constitution, electoral laws and directions issued by the Commission.
He noted that Lok Sabha elections involving around 90 crore voters represent the world’s largest electoral exercise, with approximately 1.8 crore personnel deployed for election related duties.
Kumar said another important feature of India’s electoral process is the involvement of political parties and candidates at multiple stages, including electoral roll preparation, polling and vote counting. He said such extensive participation distinguishes India’s system from those of many other democracies.
On Electronic Voting Machines (EVMs), Kumar said the machines function like calculators and are not connected to the internet, Wi-Fi or Bluetooth. He maintained that such machines cannot be hacked through external networks.