Delhi audit finds 112

The Election Commission’s public audit of two polling stations in Delhi’s South‑East district has uncovered a striking irregularity: more than one hundred voters were recorded as absent, shifted or dead despite having lived at the same address for decades. The audit, conducted under the Systematic Voter Registration (SIR) programme, found that names of long‑time residents were either missing from the electoral roll or marked as “untraceable”, forcing them to re‑register using Form 6, a process that many complain is both bureaucratic and humiliating.The two booths examined – located in the Lajpat Nagar and Karol Bagh constituencies – together serve an electorate of roughly 15,000. Of these, the audit identified 112 entries that had been incorrectly classified..

In the Lajpat Nagar booth, 68 voters were listed as “shifted” to an address that did not exist, while 23 were marked “absent” despite having supplied proof of residence for over thirty years. The Karol Bagh booth showed similar patterns, with 14 voters recorded as “deceased” and seven as “untraceable”. The errors were discovered when volunteers cross‑checked the electoral roll against municipal records and utility bills.Electors who have lived at the same address for generations say the mistakes have caused them great distress..

“My family has been here since before Partition,” said Mr Raghav Sharma, 68, whose name was wrongly marked as “shifted”. “We receive letters, pay taxes and send our children to school here. To be told we are no longer on the voter list is an insult.” Similar sentiments were echoed by Mrs Neelam Kapoor, 55, whose name appeared as “untraceable”..

She told the team that she had submitted her address proof during the 2019 general election and had not moved since.Under Indian law, a voter whose name is removed from the electoral roll must submit Form 6, a fresh registration application that requires proof of identity, residence and citizenship. Critics argue that the form’s requirements place an unnecessary burden on senior citizens and low‑income families, especially when the error stems from administrative oversight rather than any change in the voter’s status. Legal experts note that the Representation of the People Act mandates that once a voter’s name is deleted, the electoral officer must give the individual an opportunity to appeal, but the process can take weeks or months.The Election Commission (EC) has responded that the audit was part of a routine verification under the SIR initiative, which aims to keep electoral rolls up to date by removing duplicate or ineligible entries..

In a statement, the EC said the findings would be “promptly addressed” and that the affected voters would be “reinstated without delay”. The commission also announced a temporary suspension of the “automatic shift” feature in the two booths while a detailed review is carried out.However, observers caution that the issue may be symptomatic of deeper systemic problems. A recent report by the Centre for Policy Research highlighted that India’s voter rolls have not been comprehensively cleaned since 2012, leading to both under‑ and over‑inclusion..

The report warned that such discrepancies could undermine confidence in the electoral process, especially as the country prepares for the 2025 state assembly elections and the 2029 general election.Local civic groups have mobilised to assist affected voters in completing Form 6. The Delhi Election Watch, a non‑partisan NGO, set up assistance desks outside the two polling stations, offering help with document collection and form filling. “Our goal is to ensure that no eligible citizen is disenfranchised because of a clerical error,” said the organisation’s director, Ananya Singh..

The group also plans to lodge a formal complaint with the Supreme Court, seeking a directive that the EC implement safeguards against similar mistakes in the future.Political parties have seized on the controversy, accusing the EC of negligence. The opposition Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) released a press statement demanding an independent inquiry, arguing that “the integrity of the voter list is the cornerstone of any democracy”. The ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) defended the commission, noting that the SIR programme has successfully removed over two million duplicate entries nationwide since its inception in 2020..

The BJP’s election officer in Delhi, Sunil Mehta, said the commission’s “prompt corrective action” demonstrates its commitment to transparency.In the meantime, the affected voters remain in limbo. Some have already submitted Form 6, but the verification process can take up to three months, during which they are unable to cast a vote in any election. Mr Sharma, who is scheduled to retire from his civil service job next month, expressed frustration at the timing..

“If I cannot vote in the upcoming municipal elections, it feels like my voice is being taken away,” he said.The incident has prompted calls for a review of the technology used in voter roll maintenance. The EC relies on a centralised database, the Electoral Roll Management System (ERMS), which integrates data from multiple sources, including the National Population Register. Analysts suggest that mismatches between these databases, especially in rapidly urbanising areas like Delhi, can lead to errors if not reconciled properly..

Upgrading data‑matching algorithms and introducing a robust grievance redressal mechanism are among the recommendations put forward by election‑reform experts.As the audit findings ripple through Delhi’s political landscape, the broader question remains how to balance the need for accurate electoral rolls with the imperative to protect every citizen’s right to vote. While the commission’s swift response may mitigate immediate fallout, the episode underscores the challenges of administering one of the world’s largest democracies, where a single administrative slip can affect hundreds of lives..