Former Chief Election Commissioner S Y Quraishi has raised concerns over the Election Commission of India’s Special Intensive Revision (SIR) exercise, saying that the removal of even one genuine voter from the electoral roll would be a serious setback for the credibility of the electoral process.

Quraishi said that while maintaining accurate voter lists is necessary for free and fair elections, the process must ensure that eligible citizens are not excluded. He emphasised that being registered as a voter is linked to a constitutional right and should not become a matter of administrative difficulty for genuine voters.

The SIR exercise has triggered debate across several states, with the Election Commission saying that the revision aims to remove names of deceased persons, duplicate entries and ineligible voters while ensuring that eligible citizens remain part of the electoral roll.

However, opposition parties and some activists have raised concerns that genuine voters could face difficulties if their names are removed during verification. The issue has led to political debate over the balance between cleaning electoral rolls and protecting voter participation.

In recent revisions, electoral authorities have reported large-scale verification and deletion exercises. Officials have maintained that many removed entries relate to categories such as deceased voters, shifted residents or duplicate registrations. At the same time, voters have been provided opportunities to submit claims and objections where names are missing from draft rolls.

The debate around SIR comes at a time when electoral roll accuracy has become a major focus ahead of upcoming elections in several states. The Election Commission has argued that regular revision is necessary because of migration, deaths, duplicate registrations and demographic changes.

Quraishi’s remarks highlight the larger challenge before election authorities: ensuring that voter lists remain accurate without creating barriers for eligible citizens who want to exercise their franchise.