Ex-CECs say ECI within remit to conduct a revision, but find timeline 'challenging'

Time of India

6 hours ago

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While most former Chief Election Commissioners (CECs) agree that the Election Commission (ECI) is within its remit to conduct an 'intensive revision' of the electoral rolls (ERs), many expressed concern over the timing of such an exercise in Bihar given the proximity to the assembly elections. N Gopalaswami , who was the EC from 2004 (amid a similar IR exercise) and CEC from 2006 to 2009, told ET: "Earlier, the intensive revision, involving house-to-house verification, was usually done 6-8 months before polls. This was discontinued later and only summary revisions were done. As a result, house-to-house verification has not been done for several years and may be due. The only concern is that the time available appears very short which brings up the question whether the SIR can be successfully completed and its full objectives achieved." "It is not impossible to do it, though it will be challenging. There are 3-4 months to go for the election, but it is tight," he added.Former CEC OP Rawat said while there were worries over the short timeline, the ECI machinery is well-equipped to complete the SIR on time. "It is true that Intensive Revision of ERs is usually not done so close to elections but one must remember the context. ECI is being repeatedly targeted on the ER issue, so in a way it has been compelled to act. An Intensive Revision might help address these political allegations . An IR should anyways be done every 15-20 years to ensure that aspects not looked into during summary revisions are also addressed. ECI has already got its machinery moving to conduct the exercise", Rawat told ET.Another former CEC said the SIR exercise appeared to be "too much, too soon" for a densely populated state like Bihar. He pointed to the highly charged political environment and 'NRC' like allegations which were certainly not desirable for the poll panel which is meant to be a 'neutral referee'.Another former CEC said while an IR may have been warranted in 2002-2004 period, the ECI has thereafter digitalised the electoral roll, which has led to de-weeding of the ER. These systems have led to a 'silent purification' of ERs reflected in the 2024 elections with total electors at 96.8 crore, a number which would have been much higher without the exercise, he held."The current ER would be near 99% pure due to several inbuilt checks and balances and political parties' scrutiny. Bihar has seen a household-based ECI survey in 2022-23. Therefore, what is the need for such an SIR when adequate technology is available to do so non-intrusively and with minimum discomfort to the elector? Why is the 2003 cut-off date being used when several roll revisions have been done in elections thereafter? There is a concern on ECI deciding on citizenship, the poll panel usually has held that this is the remit of the home ministry. What is the desired motive of this exercise which may be extended to the whole country," he told ET on condition of anonymity.Another former CEC said: "Even if the ECI feels the need for IR, why bring in parental identity documentation requirements. So, there are questions around past precedents, if any, whether the ECI should have held consultations with political parties before announcing the exercise and whether it could have chosen to start with a state that is not so near an election."While ET could not contact the 13th CEC, TS Krishnamurthy, in a recent PTI interview he said: "Usually, door-to-door verification of the ER is conducted every five years. But this time, a special and intensive registration drive has been ordered. ECI has taken this step in response to ongoing criticism. However, the issue with our political parties is that whether work is done or not, they still find something to complain about."