India’s Election Commission has pushed back against opposition allegations that the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls has led to “vote theft” by deleting 13 crore voters. The Commission said the exercise is meant to include eligible voters and correct inaccuracies by removing ineligible or duplicate entries.
According to details compiled in a question-and-answer note cited by the BJP, the figure of 13 crore refers to names flagged in the draft roll during the SIR process. The categories listed include people who did not apply or could not be contacted (3 crore), deceased voters (2.80 crore), duplicate entries across multiple places (1 crore), and those who have permanently shifted (6.30 crore).
The Commission said the draft rolls were shared with political parties and booth-level agents, and that voters were given an opportunity to file objections. It maintained that the voter database remains decentralised, with Electoral Registration Officers (EROs) preparing and maintaining rolls under the supervision of each state’s Chief Electoral Officer.
On concerns about Form 6, the Commission said no changes were made, and that Form 6 was combined with an affidavit form for voter convenience, a step it said was approved by the Supreme Court on May 27. It also said there is no hurdle for first-time voters, noting that since June 24, 2025, about 2.37 crore Gen Z voters have been added, with around 50,000 new additions daily.
The Commission further rejected claims of unilateral decision-making by the Chief Election Commissioner, stating that decisions are taken with the concurrence of all three commissioners.
