Role of Gyanesh Kumar in SIR Controversy and Voter List Irregularities

 

Role of Gyanesh Kumar in SIR Controversy and Voter List Irregularities

The core of the controversy revolves around the ECI's Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls in Bihar, a poll-bound state where assembly elections are due later in 2025. The SIR, initiated in July 2025, aims to "purify" voter lists by identifying and removing duplicates, deceased voters, migrants, and ineligible entries ahead of the elections. However, the opposition has accused the ECI of using this exercise to manipulate voter lists in favor of the BJP, particularly by targeting voters from marginalized communities like Dalits and Other Backward Classes (OBCs), who form a significant base for parties like Congress, Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD), and Samajwadi Party (SP).

Key allegations include:

• Mass Deletions Without Due Process: The draft electoral roll published on August 1, 2025, reportedly excluded around 65 lakh voters. The opposition claimed many eligible voters were wrongly marked as "dead" or "migrated," while illegal migrants (e.g., from Bangladesh or Nepal) were allegedly added. Rahul Gandhi highlighted a case in Bengaluru's Mahadevapura constituency from the 2024 Lok Sabha elections, where over 1 lakh votes were allegedly "stolen" through duplicate entries and invalid additions, leading to broader claims of "vote chori" (vote theft) across the country.
• Hasty Implementation: Critics questioned the "tearing hurry" for SIR just three months before Bihar polls, especially amid floods in parts of the state that hindered verification. They argued this violated ECI norms, as intensive revisions are typically not conducted in election years. Historical precedents, like the 2003 Bihar revision, were cited as not being extended nationwide due to similar concerns.
• Lack of Transparency: The opposition demanded machine-readable voter data for independent analysis, CCTV footage from polling booths (to verify post-5 PM voting claims), and details on Aadhaar linkage for verification. The ECI refused, citing privacy concerns under a 2019 Supreme Court judgment, which the opposition called a pretext to hide manipulations. Additionally, claims of 22 lakh "dead" voters missed in the January 2025 Special Summary Revision (SSR) raised doubts about the SIR's accuracy.
• Multiple Voter IDs and Fraud: Allegations of the same person having multiple IDs (up to 4 in some cases) were linked to collusion between poll officials and BJP agents, enabling illegal voting. Rahul Gandhi met "dead" voters who were alive and claimed their names were deleted, escalating the row.

The Supreme Court intervened on August 17, 2025, issuing an interim order directing the ECI to publish details of the 65 lakh deleted voters within 56 hours, which the ECI complied with. However, this did little to quell the opposition's distrust.

CEC Gyanesh Kumar's Response and Escalation

On August 17, 2025, CEC Kumar held a rare press conference alongside Election Commissioners Sukhbir Singh Sandhu and Vivek Joshi to address the allegations. His responses were combative and widely criticized for evasion, bias, and mimicking BJP rhetoric:

• Dismissal of Claims: He called the "vote chori" allegations "baseless" and an "insult to the Constitution," accusing the opposition of "spreading misinformation" and "firing at voters from the ECI's shoulders." He demanded Rahul Gandhi submit an affidavit with evidence within seven days or apologize to the nation, stating, "There is no third option."
• On SIR Process: Kumar defended the SIR as "highly transparent" with CCTV monitoring, digital audits, and booth-level officer (BLO) verifications (claiming signatures from villagers in 10 panchayats). He said revisions must occur before elections, not after, and that no party was fully satisfied with electoral rolls—a point he reiterated amid the row. He justified checking citizenship status under Article 326 but avoided specifics on deletions.
• Privacy and Data: Refusing machine-readable lists or CCTV footage, he invoked Supreme Court rulings to protect "mothers, sisters, and daughters-in-law" from privacy breaches. He also claimed sharing such data could enable manipulation.
• Equal Treatment: He insisted the ECI treats all parties equally but did not address why no affidavit was demanded from BJP leader Anurag Thakur, who made similar claims about voter lists in other states without accusing the ECI.

Opposition leaders, including Rahul Gandhi, Tejashwi Yadav (RJD), Mahua Moitra (TMC), and Ramgopal Yadav (SP), slammed Kumar for acting like a "BJP spokesperson" rather than an impartial CEC. They argued his tone was adversarial, evasive on key questions (e.g., why 7-8% post-polling votes in Maharashtra without footage proof), and that he ridiculed their concerns instead of investigating. Rahul Gandhi launched the "Voter Adhikar Yatra" (Voter Rights March) on August 18, 2025—a 1,300 km, 16-day march in Bihar starting from Sasaram—to protest "vote theft" and demand accountability.

The controversy highlights deep polarization: The opposition views the SIR as a tool for BJP to engineer wins by disenfranchising voters, substantiated by on-ground reports of deletions (e.g., 18,000 SP supporters in UP 2022 polls ignored despite affidavits) and data discrepancies (e.g., more voters than adults in Maharashtra). The ECI, backed by government-aligned sources, insists on procedural integrity, citing legal mandates and Supreme Court compliance, but its evasive responses have fuelled bias perceptions. As of August 27, 2025, protests continue, with the INDIA bloc vowing escalation if unresolved. This row tests India's democratic institutions, echoing B.R. Ambedkar's warnings about executive influence over the ECI.

Source: Grok