‘Shaken faith’: Why are India’s elections under unprecedented scrutiny?
Summary
New reports reveal conflicts within India’s Election Commission about changes to the voter list that removed over 13 million names, mostly affecting poorer and minority groups. Two commissioners opposed the chief commissioner’s decisions, raising doubts about the fairness of elections in the world’s largest democracy.Key Facts
- India’s Election Commission manages elections for over 1.4 billion people.
- The commission has three members: Chief Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar, and commissioners Sukhbir Singh Sandhu and Vivek Joshi.
- Since June 2025, the commission removed more than 13 million names from voter lists.
- Critics say these removals mostly affected vulnerable groups like poor people and minorities.
- Sandhu and Joshi objected at least 14 times to Kumar’s decisions, calling some actions illegal and unauthorized.
- Opposition parties say changes help Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s party and challenge the commission’s independence.
- The Supreme Court approved the voter list revisions despite opposition concerns.
- Voting rights in India also affect eligibility for government welfare programs.
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