124 Retired Bureaucrats Rally Behind Election Commission, Defend Voter List Revision

124 Former IAS and IFS Officers Back Election Commission, Defend SIR Process in Open Letter

New Delhi, October 10: A group of 124 former Indian Administrative Service (IAS), Indian Foreign Service (IFS) and allied services officers has issued an open letter defending the Election Commission of India (ECI) and its Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls.

The letter comes amid growing political controversy and opposition protests over the voter-list revision exercise and allegations of electoral irregularities. The retired officials have questioned claims of vote-rigging made without credible supporting evidence, arguing that serious allegations should be backed by verifiable facts. 

Former Bureaucrats Highlight Electoral Safeguards

In their letter, the former officials pointed to changes in India's electoral system over the years, citing safeguards such as polling agents, the sealing of electronic voting machines (EVMs), strong-room security and Voter Verifiable Paper Audit Trail (VVPAT) verification.

They also referred to the 2025 Bihar Assembly elections, highlighting the reported absence of repolling and the high voter turnout as evidence cited in support of the electoral system. 

Why the Officers Support SIR

The signatories described the Special Intensive Revision as an important exercise for reviewing electoral rolls and identifying errors, duplicate entries and the names of deceased voters, while ensuring eligible citizens can register.

Citing figures from Bihar, the letter referred to the identification of approximately 22 lakh deceased voters and seven lakh duplicate entries, alongside the addition of around 21.5 lakh new voters. These figures were presented by the signatories in support of their argument for revising voter lists. 

Debate Over Election Commission's Credibility

The letter was issued amid criticism from opposition parties regarding the Election Commission's handling of electoral rolls and demands for greater transparency. The former officials argued that criticism of election results should be supported by credible evidence and cautioned against undermining public confidence in democratic institutions without substantiation. <Cite refs={["turn658001search7","turn658001search8"]}/>

The controversy over SIR continues to highlight the competing arguments surrounding electoral transparency, the accuracy of voter lists and the responsibility of the Election Commission to maintain public trust.