'Freeze SIR, restore names of 10 crore voters', demands Jairam Ramesh

Congress general secretary Jairam Ramesh on Tuesday demanded an immediate freeze on the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls and restoration of the names of all eligible voters, alleging that the Election Commission was repeatedly using the classification of absent, shifted, deceased and duplicate electors to defend what he described as an illegal and unconstitutional exercise.

Ramesh claimed that more than 10 crore legitimate voters had been excluded from electoral rolls under categories that did not necessarily establish their ineligibility. He accused the Election Commission of designing a revision process that placed an excessive burden on voters, relied on flawed technology and created opportunities for wrongful deletion of names.

The Congress leader's allegations came amid an intensifying confrontation between opposition parties and the Election Commission over the SIR exercise, with the poll body maintaining that the revision was necessary to ensure the accuracy and integrity of electoral rolls.

𝗥𝗮𝗺𝗲𝘀𝗵 𝗾𝘂𝗲𝘀𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻𝘀 𝗔𝗦𝗗𝗗 𝗰𝗹𝗮𝘀𝘀𝗶𝗳𝗶𝗰𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻

In a social media post, Ramesh questioned the repeated use of the acronym ASDD, which stands for Absent, Shifted, Deceased and Duplicate, to explain the large number of electors whose names had been flagged during the revision exercise.

"ASDD sounds like a medical disorder, but this term is constantly being used to defend the illegal and unconstitutional SIR," he said.

Breaking down the figures, Ramesh claimed that deceased voters accounted for approximately 20 per cent of the names identified for deletion, while duplicate entries represented around eight per cent. He argued that the remaining categories, particularly absent and shifted voters, accounted for more than 10 crore names and could include large numbers of legitimate electors.

The Congress leader maintained that being absent from a registered address or having shifted residence did not automatically mean that a person had lost the right to vote. He questioned whether the revision process provided adequate safeguards to distinguish genuinely ineligible entries from voters who had moved or were temporarily unavailable during verification.

𝗖𝗼𝗻𝗴𝗿𝗲𝘀𝘀 𝗮𝗹𝗹𝗲𝗴𝗲𝘀 𝘀𝘆𝘀𝘁𝗲𝗺𝗶𝗰 𝗱𝗶𝘀𝗲𝗻𝗳𝗿𝗮𝗻𝗰𝗵𝗶𝘀𝗲𝗺𝗲𝗻𝘁

Ramesh shared a newspaper explainer examining the design and implementation of the current SIR exercise and alleged that the process differed significantly from earlier electoral roll revisions.

According to him, the present system excluded voters who had shifted, placed the responsibility of proving eligibility on individual electors and depended excessively on software that he described as flawed. He also alleged that the process created opportunities for misuse of Form 7, which is used to seek the deletion of names from electoral rolls.

The Congress general secretary described the revision as a mechanism for disenfranchising Indian citizens and argued that the safeguards against wrongful exclusion were inadequate.

He demanded that the Election Commission halt the ongoing exercise and restore the names of all legitimate voters, maintaining that the right to vote should not be jeopardised by administrative classifications or deficiencies in verification procedures.

𝗘𝗖 𝗱𝗲𝗳𝗲𝗻𝗱𝘀 𝟭𝟯.𝟯𝟵 𝗰𝗿𝗼𝗿𝗲 𝗔𝗦𝗗𝗗 𝗲𝗻𝘁𝗿𝗶𝗲𝘀

The Election Commission has rejected opposition allegations that more than 13 crore legitimate voters were indiscriminately removed during the SIR exercise, explaining that the figure relates to electors placed under different ASDD categories.

According to data released by the poll body, approximately 95.40 crore electors were covered across three phases of the revision exercise, of whom 13.39 crore were identified under the ASDD classification.

The figures included 3.01 crore voters categorised as absent or untraceable, 6.30 crore who had reportedly shifted permanently, 2.80 crore recorded as deceased and 1.02 crore identified as duplicate entries. Another 26 lakh electors were placed under other categories.

The Commission has maintained that the exercise is intended to identify outdated, duplicate and otherwise ineligible entries while ensuring that electoral rolls accurately reflect the eligible voting population.

Importantly, the ASDD classification does not by itself establish that every person included in the figures has been permanently disqualified from voting. The distinction between flagged entries, names excluded from draft rolls and final deletions remains central to the dispute between the Commission and opposition parties.

𝗩𝗼𝘁𝗲𝗿𝘀 𝗰𝗮𝗻 𝘀𝗲𝗲𝗸 𝗿𝗲𝗶𝗻𝗰𝗹𝘂𝘀𝗶𝗼𝗻

The Election Commission has said that eligible electors whose names are missing can apply for inclusion through the prescribed procedures. It has also pointed to opportunities for claims and objections during the revision process.

Political parties have been provided access to relevant electoral roll information and an opportunity to raise objections concerning entries identified during the exercise.

The Commission's position is that the identification of absent, shifted, deceased and duplicate entries is part of maintaining accurate voter lists and does not amount to a blanket denial of voting rights.

The Congress, however, argues that requiring individuals to establish their eligibility after being excluded can impose a substantial burden, particularly on migrant workers, economically disadvantaged citizens and those who may face difficulties accessing documentation or administrative remedies.

𝗦𝗜𝗥 𝗿𝗼𝘄 𝗱𝗲𝗲𝗽𝗲𝗻𝘀 𝗮𝗺𝗶𝗱 𝗼𝗽𝗽𝗼𝘀𝗶𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻 𝗽𝗿𝗼𝘁𝗲𝘀𝘁𝘀

Ramesh's intervention comes as the Congress and other opposition parties continue their campaign against the electoral roll revision exercise and the functioning of the Election Commission under Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar.

Opposition leaders have demanded greater transparency in the verification process, scrutiny of disputed deletions and stronger safeguards to ensure that eligible citizens are not excluded from the electoral rolls.

The controversy has also prompted wider debate over the balance between removing invalid entries and protecting the constitutional principle of universal adult franchise.

While the Election Commission maintains that electoral roll revision is an essential administrative responsibility, the Congress has questioned whether the current procedures provide sufficient protection against wrongful exclusion.

The dispute now centres on whether the Commission's classification and verification mechanisms can reliably distinguish ineligible entries from legitimate voters and whether the available remedies are adequate to prevent disenfranchisement.

Ramesh reiterated that the SIR exercise should remain suspended until the concerns were addressed and the names of eligible voters restored.