The Election Commission of India’s functioning is under public scrutiny like never before. The resentment around the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) that has left a large population of Indians – often the most marginalised – scrambling for documents is understandable. But the issues raised by the recent Indian Express investigation require answers that go beyond the immediate controversy surrounding the Chief Election Commissioner.
Who controls the electoral roll? Can a statutory form be altered without following the law? Does the technology used by the ECI enable officers to exercise their lawful powers, or restrict them? And who is accountable when eligible citizens find themselves excluded?
