Electoral rolls prep in India among most transparent in the world: CEC days after Rahul Gandhi’s ‘match-fixing’ charges

Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar said before an international audience that the preparation of electoral rolls in India is one of the world’s most rigorous and transparent exercises amid allegations of fudging in voter data.

Kumar said in his keynote address at the Stockholm International Conference on Electoral Integrity on 11 June that electoral rolls are shared with recognised national and state parties in accordance with law every year during revision and before the elections.

Rahul Gandhi’s ‘match-fixing’ allegations

These are CEC’s first remarks since Leader of Opposition in Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi’s recent allegations of irregularities in the Maharashtra assembly elections. In an article in The Indian Express last week, Gandhi had reiterated allegations he has made in the past.

Flagging an “incredible leap” in new voters, he had alleged “bogus” voting and “match-fixing” in the Maharashtra Assembly elections. The poll authority has dubbed these charges as absurd.

In his 11 June address, CEC Gyanesh Kumar said the rolls have been shared with recognised political parties since 1960, with the provision of claims, objections, and appeals. He said the preparation of the voters’ list is one of the world’s most rigorous and transparent exercises, reinforcing the accuracy and integrity of the electoral process.

According to the Election Commission’s statement, the CEC said that this robust mechanism has played a vital role in upholding electoral credibility across the country for years.

Highlighting India’s electoral integrity, scale and diversity, Kumar reaffirmed the role of the Election Commission in capacity-building programmes for election management bodies (EMBs) of countries around the globe. Over 100 participants representing EMBs of around 50 countries are taking part in the conference.

He said the entire electoral process is closely monitored by political parties, candidates, police, expenditure observers, and the media, who, he stated, act as concurrent auditors at various stages.

The CEC also highlighted the scale of coordination that underpins the conduct of elections in India.

The preparation of the voters’ list is one of the world’s most rigorous and transparent exercises.

With over 20 million personnel, including polling staff, police forces, observers, and agents of political parties, at the time of elections, the Election Commission becomes the world’s largest organisation, surpassing the combined workforce of several national governments and major global corporations. It also ensures that India’s nearly one billion electors are freely able to exercise their franchise, he said.