Recent concerns over electoral roll discrepancies have raised alarms about the health of representative democracy. Issues like inaccurate voter details, duplicate entries, ghost voters and ineligible names enable electoral fraud such as impersonation and multiple voting. These flaws erode public trust and question the credibility of the Election Commission of India (ECI) and political parties alike.
Election Commission of India’s Role and Credibility
The ECI is responsible for maintaining accurate electoral rolls. It once enjoyed high credibility, especially during the 1990s under Chief Election Commissioner T.N. Seshan, by enforcing strict poll regulations and issuing Electoral Photo Identity Cards. However, recent years have seen a decline in transparency and accountability. Attempts to obscure roll inspection have deepened public suspicion and damaged institutional integrity.
Political Parties and Electoral Roll Management
Political parties have shifted from grassroots campaigning to digital and AI-driven communication. This has centralised power and reduced the role of local party workers who traditionally ensured close voter contact. Parties now depend more on professional consultants for campaign strategies, weakening local organisational structures. This neglect contributes to lapses in detecting and correcting electoral roll errors.
Importance of Local-Level Collaboration
The ECI manual mandates local election officers and electoral registration officers to consult recognised political parties during roll revisions. Parties must scrutinise draft rolls and report discrepancies. The Booth Level Agents (BLAs), appointed from local voters, serve as crucial links between voters, parties and the ECI. Their role includes verifying and correcting voter lists to maintain roll integrity.
Safeguards Against Electoral Fraud
The ECI imposes strict rules to prevent manipulation. For example, BLAs can file limited applications daily, and bulk enrolments are restricted. Applications exceeding certain limits require personal verification by Electoral Registration Officers. These measures are designed to prevent fraudulent entries and maintain transparency during roll revisions.
Challenges and Institutional Bias
Recent irregularities, such as those reported in Karnataka’s Mahadevapura constituency, show potential misuse of BLA powers and institutional bias favouring incumbents. Questions arise about the vigilance of local party organisations and whether some BLAs manipulate the system or remain inactive during roll updates.
Reviving Local Party Structures for Democracy
The current electoral roll crisis offers an opportunity for political parties to strengthen their local units. Active local participation is essential for maintaining accurate voter lists and a healthy democracy. Parties in states like Kerala have begun more rigorous scrutiny of draft rolls, indicating a positive shift. History shows weak local organisations can distort democracy, and revitalising them is vital to safeguard electoral integrity.
Institutional Integrity and Democratic Trust
The framework for electoral integrity exists but depends on institutional leaders prioritising constitutional norms and neutrality. When these principles are compromised, citizen trust erodes and democratic institutions weaken from within. Ensuring electoral roll accuracy requires commitment from both the ECI and political parties at all levels.
Questions for UPSC:
- Point out the challenges faced by the Election Commission of India in maintaining credible electoral rolls and estimate their impact on democratic processes.
- Underline the changes in political party campaigning methods in India and critically analyse how these changes affect grassroots democracy and electoral integrity.
- What is the role of Booth Level Agents in Indian elections? How does their function influence the accuracy of electoral rolls and voter participation?
- Critically analyse the relationship between institutional integrity and public trust in democratic governance with suitable examples from electoral management systems.
