Opinion | SIR: Ensuring Integrity Of Electoral Process

Sheikh Khalid Jehangir

The ultimate objective must remain clear: every eligible citizen should have the opportunity to exercise the right to vote, while electoral rolls should remain accurate

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When a double bench of Supreme Court comprising Chief Justice Surya Kant and Justice Joymalya Bagchi backed the Election Commission of India’s Special Intensive Revision (SIR) exercise it made one thing explicitly clear that the ECI is duty bound to safeguard electoral integrity and ensure free and fair elections.

The Apex Court held that the Election Commission was empowered to carry out SIR under Article 324 of the Constitution, along with provisions of the Representation of the People Act, 1950, and the rules framed under it.

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“SIR advances the constitutional imperative of free and fair elections….Free and fair elections do not rest merely upon the mechanics of polling. They fundamentally depend upon the integrity, accuracy and credibility of the electoral rolls, which form the foundation of the democratic process," the Supreme Court said.

Since the day Special Intensive Revision exercise has commenced the Election Commission on many occasions has stated that the credibility of elections depends not only on the polling process but also on the integrity and accuracy of electoral rolls, which form the bedrock of democracy.

Last Special Intensive Revision was carried out four decades ago. Forty years is quite a long time and the SIR was nothing “out of box." It was the need of the hour, simple exercise that has been blown out of proportion by a few people having vested interests.

The Supreme Court in its observation had said the exercise “does not distract from the constitutional obligation of free and fair elections" and instead advances that mandate. “We are equally satisfied that the object sought to be achieved by the SIR bears a direct nexus to the constitutional goal of free and fair elections."

CREDIBILITY OF ELECTIONS DEPENDS ON MANY FACTORS

In a democracy the reliability of an election depends on factors like integrity, accuracy and transparency of electoral rolls.

Any discussion must be guided by verified facts rather than assumptions, incomplete figures or politically charged narratives.

Electoral matters have the potential to generate strong public reactions because the right to vote is........

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