Ensure transparency in electoral roll revision, TDP tells ECI

The TDP said it recognises that any special revision should provide a valuable opportunity to ensure that the electoral rolls are updated in a fair, inclusive, and transparent manner

Andhra Pradesh’s ruling Telugu Desam Party (TDP), a key Bharatiya Janata Party ally, on Tuesday wrote a letter to the Election Commission of India (ECI), saying any special intensive revision of the electoral roll should not happen close to elections and be limited to correcting errors and including new voters without deletions.

The TDP said its suggestions were meant to help maintain the integrity of the electoral roll. (X)

Lavu Sri Krishna Devarayalu, the TDP Lok Sabha floor leader who signed the letter, wrote that Andhra Pradesh is not due for assembly elections until 2029, but the party recognises that any future special revision should provide a valuable opportunity to ensure that the electoral rolls are updated in a fair, inclusive, and transparent manner.

The letter comes against the backdrop of disenfranchisement concerns over a similar exercise in poll-bound Bihar. Opposition parties have questioned the haste in carrying out the revision months before the polls and argued it could have been undertaken earlier. They have argued that those without necessary documents, particularly backward communities, will find themselves deprived of their right to vote.

On June 24, the ECI announced the Bihar revision, emphasising the need to clean the electoral roll due to urbanisation, migration, non-reporting of deaths, and the inclusion of names of undocumented foreigners. It has instructed the electoral registration officers to treat the 2003 electoral roll as “probative evidence of eligibility, including presumption of citizenship unless they receive any other input otherwise.”

The opponents of the exercise have raised concerns about the manner and timing of the ECI in undertaking the exercise, giving 30 days for voters to provide proof of their citizenship based on a set of 11 documents, which do not include readily available ones such as Aadhaar, ECI photo identity card, or ration card.

The TDP requested the ECI to start the process in Andhra Pradesh whenever needed as early as possible. It cited the Supreme Court’s judgment in Lal Babu Hussein versus Electoral Registration Officer (ERO) case and said voters once enrolled should not be asked to prove eligibility again unless specific and verifiable reasons are recorded. “The burden of proof lies with the ERO or objector, not the voter,” said the letter, a copy of which HT has seen.

The TDP noted that Andhra Pradesh recorded an 81.86% turnout, above the national average, in the 2024 general elections and linked this to the protection of the voter roll from unnecessary deletions. It asked the ECI to give adequate time for any revision, and that it should not ideally be within six months of any major election.

The TDP listed suggestions for the electoral roll management and recommended that the ECI conduct annual third-party audits under the Comptroller and Auditor General to identify anomalies. It proposed the use of AI-driven tools to flag duplicate, migrated, or deceased entries in real time. The TDP sought a time-bound grievance redressal mechanism at the block and ERO levels.

The TDP suggested Aadhaar-based cross-verification of voter ID numbers while maintaining data privacy. It said biometric verification should replace the current ink-based process. The TDP said that booth-level agents from recognised parties should be involved in the revision process, and that draft rolls be shared with them before publication for verification. It asked the ECI to publish district-wise data on voter additions and deletions on its portal and create a public dashboard for tracking voter grievances.

The TDP said statutory timelines and penalties should be enforced for inaction by electoral officers and recommended the rotation of Booth Level Officers (BLOs) and EROs. It called for appointing a state-level ombudsman under the ECI to deal with unresolved political grievances related to electoral rolls.

The TDP asked the ECI to conduct re-enrollment campaigns for migrant workers, tribal groups, the elderly, and homeless citizens. It suggested that temporary address declarations, with basic documentation, be allowed to prevent the exclusion of mobile populations. It sought mobile BLO units in areas with high migration.

The TDP asked the ECI to ensure any deletions follow a reasoned order with due notice to the voter. It suggested monthly consultative meetings with recognised parties at the district level during roll revision exercises.

The TDP said it has been participating in electoral processes since 1983 and that its suggestions were meant to help maintain the integrity of the electoral roll.

There was no immediate response from the ECI to the letter.