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The deletion of 27 lakh voters from West Bengal’s electoral rolls during the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) conducted by the Election Commission of India (ECI) under Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar and under the supervision of the Supreme Court, represents a grave negation of universal adult suffrage. By effectively denying millions their right to vote, this exercise strikes at the very foundation of India’s democracy.

An April 8, 2026 editorial in The Indian Express, titled “EC failed Bengal voters, SC should look again,” sharply criticised the process as one marked by “mass deletions, procedural opacity, and a system that… shifted the burden of proof onto the very citizens it is meant to enfranchise.” The scale of the deletions is striking. When the revision began in December, West Bengal had 7.66 crore registered voters. The final rolls list 6.77 crore – a drop of 11.62%. Of more than 60 lakh voters whose eligibility was under scrutiny, 27,16,393 – over 45% – have been excluded, many despite having fulfilled documentation requirements.

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The editorial also did not spare the Supreme Court. Judicial tribunals,........

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