Indian political protests over voter list revisions

Political tensions have escalated in India following the Election Commission’s Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of voter lists. Major political entities, including the Maharashtra Pradesh Congress Committee, have alleged significant irregularities, claiming that approximately 30 million voters were removed in Maharashtra and 130 million nationwide. Protesters have demanded the removal and arrest of Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar.

In Maharashtra, leaders from the MNS and Shiv Sena (UBT) scheduled a joint demonstration in Mumbai for October 4 to address concerns regarding voter rights. Meanwhile, the Indian National Congress expanded its response by scheduling a high-level meeting in New Delhi on October 5 to coordinate national agitation strategies.

In response to these allegations, the INDIA bloc announced a nationwide ‘Save Democracy March’ at the district level from October 2 to October 8, with opposition MPs planning to march to the Election Commission on October 6. The Election Commission has defended its actions, stating that all SIR orders were issued with full commission approval and that internal disagreements among commissioners are a standard part of the institutional process.