Opposition has only propaganda, not the people

Why in the News

The Opposition says the revision of electoral rolls and the voting machines enable “vote chori” (vote theft), but the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) says no evidence supports the charge. The BJP adds that recent paper ballot results show voters rejecting it. The dispute comes before a Delhi rally led by Congress that demands the resignation of the Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) over the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls.

What is the SIR, and why is it contested?

1. What it is: The SIR is a time bound, house to house check of every voter list entry by Booth Level Officers (BLOs). It works like a fresh headcount, unlike the routine yearly update.
2. Legal basis: The Election Commission of India (ECI) acts under Article 324. Section 21 of the Representation of the People Act, 1950 lets it specially revise a roll.
3. The charge: The Opposition says the ECI deleted crores of eligible voters.
4. The BJP’s reply: It says this is the ninth intensive revision since 1952 and the first in over two decades. Congress governments ran seven of the eight before this one.
5. The takeaway: The BJP treats precedent as proof of lawfulness, but the dispute is about how deletions are carried out.

What evidence does the BJP offer against the “vote chori” charge?

1. Voting machine claim: The Opposition earlier alleged that battery charge decided who won. The ECI replied that the battery has no link to the result, since new batteries are sealed in the presence of polling agents.
2. No proof offered: The BJP says no voter complained of a stolen vote and the Opposition leader called his charge a “feeling”.
3. Silchar result: The Silchar Municipal Corporation polled on paper ballots. Congress won two of 42 wards and the BJP about three in four.
4. Council seats: Congress won one of 28 Legislative Council seats polled in four States, and the BJP and its allies more than half.
5. Motive charge: The BJP says Congress cannot win at the polls, so it seeks “regime change through anarchy”.

Does an election win answer a charge about the rolls?

1. Results versus rolls: A poll result shows how people on the roll voted, not who was left off it.
2. Narrow electorate: Council seats in graduates’ and teachers’ constituencies are polled by registered graduates and teachers only.
3. Omitted result: The Samajwadi Party (SP) won five of the 11 Uttar Pradesh seats, a result the BJP count leaves out.
4. Scale of deletions: Over two crore voters left Uttar Pradesh rolls when its SIR ended in April, and the Supreme Court hears petitions on deletion form misuse.
5. Burden of proof: The Opposition leader says the ruling side must prove it did not cheat. The BJP says the accuser must bring evidence.

Challenges

1. Wrongful deletion: Quick top down deletions can drop legitimate poor or homeless citizens.
2. Misuse allegations: Charges that deletions target particular voter blocks erode trust in the ECI.
3. Evidence standard: Large scale theft charges have no route to proof short of court petitions.

Way Forward

1. Independent audit: Let civil society groups audit samples of deletions after each revision.
2. Death registry link: Link civil registration to voter rolls so deceased voters leave the roll.
3. Standing appeals: Set up appellate bodies for voter rolls that work all year.

Conclusion

Trust in the rolls rests on proof that each deletion was lawful, and a poll win cannot supply it. Watch whether the ECI publishes verified deletion and appeal figures.

Initiatives for Electoral Integrity

1. Paper slips: Electronic Voting Machines (EVMs) are paired with the Voter Verifiable Paper Audit Trail (VVPAT), a printer that shows a slip of the recorded choice.
2. ECINET: Launched in 2026, it joins over 40 mobile and web applications into one interface.
3. Full webcasting: Live webcasting now covers all polling stations, not only sensitive ones.
4. cVIGIL: Citizens report Model Code of Conduct violations on this app, and investigators must respond within 100 minutes.

Back2Basics: Chief Election Commissioner

1. Office: Article 324 vests the superintendence, direction and control of elections in the ECI, which the CEC heads.
2. Appointment: The President appoints on the advice of a committee of the Prime Minister, a Union Cabinet Minister and the Leader of the Opposition, under the Chief Election Commissioner and Other Election Commissioners (Appointment, Conditions of Service and Term of Office) Act, 2023.
3. Tenure: Six years or until age 65, whichever is earlier.
4. Removal: The CEC is removed in the way a Supreme Court judge is.

Matching Previous Year Question

“[2026, GS2, 10 marks] Is the right to vote a fundamental right? Discuss the position of the Election Commission of India while undertaking the revision of electoral rolls. Can it also examine the question of citizenship of voters?”