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From Ashok Lavasa's dissent and the controversial appointment of election commissioners to voter-roll deletions, secretive decisions and the reported revolt within the Election Commission, the story of how India's electoral watchdog has been losing public trust.
Harish Salve's defence of the Election Commission, the constitutional legitimacy of public protest, and the difference between institutional independence and institutional immunity. The central argument of this article is that a democracy does not have to choose between constitutional institutions and public dissent. It needs both. The legal merits of an electoral dispute belong before the courts, but citizens retain the right to organise, question institutions, expose inconsistencies and demand accountability. There is an important evidentiary distinction concerning Mr Salve. His televised remarks and the structure of his arguments can be scrutinised directly. A pattern of selective reasoning can support criticism of his apparent political alignment in this controversy. It does not, by itself, establish a financial inducement, secret arrangement or dishonest personal motive.
The Election Commission's annual Special Summary Revision has not resumed after the 2024 cycle, despite reports that Election Commissioners Sukhbir Singh Sandhu and Vivek Joshi wanted it restored. With young voters potentially affected, Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar owes the country a transparent explanation.
Two of the Election Commission’s three members reportedly raised 14 objections in ten months over voter registration, deletions, Form 6, electoral-roll software and decisions taken without their knowledge. The Election Commission says all final decisions were unanimous. The key question is what happened between the internal objection and final approval.
The Election Commission has told the Supreme Court that 22.21 lakh of the 27.16 lakh West Bengal electors deleted through SIR adjudication have appealed for restoration. The figure does not prove that the deletions were wrongful, but the huge backlog and the timing of the appellate process raise an important question about electoral due process: what happens when a voter's eligibility is restored only after the election is over?
