The extent of voter deletions reported during the process of Special Intensive Revision (SIR) in Hyderabad raises serious questions about the fundamentals of democracy, that is, whether an exercise of cleaning voter list becomes an instrument of silencing political expression of citizens. With reports of the number of voters deleted from each of Hyderabad constituencies surpassing margins of victory of the 2023 Assembly elections, the concern deserves much more attention, scrutiny and transparency.
Voter list revision is a legitimate exercise, aimed at removing duplicating, dead and ineligible entries. However, it should be clear that democracy requires not only cleaning the voter list but also protecting its eligible voters. If the numbers of voters deleted are large enough to go beyond margins of victory, the risk of eligible voters being deprived of their right cannot be overlooked.
This is where the important role of the Election Commission and the Telangana government comes into play. The people should get full information regarding the reason for deletion, the number of deletions made, and what options are available for restoring the names of the voters before elections. A person does not want to find out that his/her voting right is deleted on the polling day itself.
There are also some issues that the debate raises to the BJP itself. Again and again, the BJP has established itself as a party which fights for electoral purity and democracy. But, when the issue of deleting voters comes into the picture, the political leaders have to ensure that the process does not become a subject of partisan politics. It is simply not tolerable if the BJP demands an inquiry into the case of deleting voter list whenever it suits the interests of the BJP, but it is not as enthusiastic about the plight of the common voters.
Ultimately, the question at hand goes beyond political parties: a voter list should not become an invisible tool of power that could potentially influence election results without the public’s approval. It the voter deletions are necessary, they must be explained openly. If mistakes happened, they should be addressed immediately. For in a democratic society, every vote counts.
