Answer

Introduction

Democracy depends not merely on periodic voting, but also on accurately identifying eligible voters through credible electoral rolls. In this context, the ECI’s Special Intensive Revision raises concerns regarding balancing electoral purity with Universal Adult Suffrage and constitutional inclusiveness.

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Role Of The ECI’s Special Intensive Revision (Sir) In Ensuring Electoral Purity

• Roll Accuracy: SIR aims to remove duplicate, deceased, and ineligible entries from electoral rolls to ensure credible elections.
  Eg: Election Commission of India conducts periodic electoral roll revisions under Article 324 and the Representation of the People Act, 1950.
• Fraud Prevention: Clean voter lists reduce impersonation, bogus voting, and electoral manipulation.
  Eg: The Supreme Court has repeatedly recognised free and fair elections as essential to democracy in cases like Indira Nehru Gandhi v. Raj Narain (1975).
• Democratic Legitimacy: Accurate identification of voters enhances public trust in electoral outcomes and representative democracy.
• Administrative Duty: The Constitution empowers ECI to supervise and maintain electoral integrity through systematic verification exercises.
  Eg: Article 324 grants ECI plenary powers over preparation and revision of electoral rolls.
• Citizenship Verification: SIR seeks to ensure that only constitutionally eligible citizens participate in elections.
  Eg: Article 326 restricts voting rights to adult Indian citizens meeting statutory conditions.

Constitutional Balance Between Electoral Integrity And Universal Adult Suffrage 

• Universal Franchise: Electoral reforms must not dilute the constitutional promise of Universal Adult Suffrage.
  Eg: Article 326 guarantees voting rights irrespective of caste, religion, gender, or economic status.
• Exclusion Risks: Excessive documentation or flawed verification may wrongly disenfranchise genuine voters.
• Marginal Impact: Migrants, poor citizens, women, elderly, and homeless persons face higher risks of deletion from rolls.
• Due Process: Electoral purification must follow transparent procedures, appeals, and fair hearing mechanisms.
  Eg: The Representation of the People Act, 1950 provides claims and objections procedures before deletion of names.
• Democratic Balance: Constitutional democracy requires balancing electoral integrity with inclusiveness and equal political participation.
  Eg: The Supreme Court in PUCL v. Union of India emphasised participatory democracy and informed electoral rights.

Conclusion

Electoral purity and Universal Adult Suffrage are complementary constitutional goals, not opposing principles. A democratic system gains legitimacy only when electoral rolls remain both accurate and inclusive, ensuring that no genuine citizen is denied political participation or representation.

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