India election commission orders review of voter-roll system

NEW DELHI: India’s Election Commission has ordered a review of its voter-roll software following reports that concerns were raised internally over changes to electoral lists that allegedly resulted in millions of voters being excluded.

The move comes amid growing criticism from opposition parties, which have accused the commission of manipulating voter lists in a manner that could benefit Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP). The commission has rejected such allegations and maintained that its decisions and procedures are lawful.

According to a report by The Indian Express, two election commissioners questioned or raised concerns with Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar on at least 14 occasions over a 10-month period. Most of the concerns reportedly related to the process used to update voter lists, which began last year.

Opposition parties, along with the youth-led Cockroach Janta Party, have called for Kumar to step down. The party has also threatened nationwide demonstrations on October 2 if the chief election commissioner does not resign.

The Election Commission said a committee headed by a senior official would examine the voter-roll software. An independent technology specialist will also be part of the committee to assess whether the system complies with election laws and established rules.

The commission said the review was aimed at addressing concerns surrounding the software and voter-list procedures.

It also announced a change in the process for dealing with discrepancies in voter records. Under the revised approach, local officials will visit voters whose information has been flagged instead of routinely requiring them to appear at government offices.