CPI(M) Demands Immediate Halt to Flawed Electoral Roll Revision

New Delhi: The CPI(M) Polit Bureau has strongly condemned the way the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls is being implemented across the country, stating that the process has deviated from its intended purpose and has instead become chaotic, exclusionary, and dangerous.

In its statement, the party asserted that what should have been a routine, transparent and citizen-friendly verification exercise has instead turned into an arbitrary and reckless operation that endangers both the credibility of the voter rolls and the lives of the officials tasked with carrying out the process.

The Polit Bureau noted that the revision is being rushed through with no planning or practical timelines. Booth Level Officers (BLOs) have reportedly been given unrealistic deadlines for door-to-door verification, resulting in situations where BLOs have been compelled to sit inside party offices and ask citizens to come to them — a breakdown of the prescribed process that risks large-scale errors and voter exclusion.

The CPI(M) drew attention to the human toll of this pressure-driven procedure. The party highlighted that several BLOs have died under extreme workload and stress, stating that these tragedies are not “accidental casualties,” but the consequences of “an irresponsible and inhuman administrative process.”

The statement also questioned why the Election Commission has chosen not to employ its own duplicate-voter detection software — a system designed for accuracy and efficiency. By abandoning this tool, the burden has shifted entirely to manual verification, worsening errors and delays. Furthermore, both BLOs and ordinary voters attempting to file forms are facing inconsistent connectivity, unstable servers, and recurring technical failures. This, the CPI(M) emphasized, creates new barriers especially for rural and marginalised communities, turning a civic obligation into an ordeal.

The Polit Bureau said the Election Commission must immediately stop the current flawed process to prevent large-scale voter disenfranchisement and ensure democratic inclusion. It called for a properly structured, humane, technologically enabled revision that safeguards every citizen’s democratic right to be included on the electoral rolls.