New Delhi, October 10 (Daily Kiran) : A group of former civil servants, including ex-Foreign Secretary Kanwal Sibal and retired ambassadors, has released an open letter defending the integrity of India’s electoral process. The letter raises concerns over allegations of election rigging made without evidence. It urges citizens to trust the established safeguards within the electoral system, respect Supreme Court rulings, and verify voter lists.
The signatories argue that the repeated use of the term “rigged” undermines public confidence in democracy. They emphasize their extensive experience in managing or studying elections throughout their careers, including tasks such as preparing voter lists, training polling staff, sealing strong rooms, and overseeing vote counting.
The letter asserts that the authors are not affiliated with any political party and aim to highlight the security measures in place within the electoral process. They reference past incidents of violence at polling stations, including armed presence and ballot tampering, noting that such issues led Parliament to criminalize booth capturing in 1989.
Notably, the letter points out that the 2025 assembly elections in Bihar, previously notorious for booth capturing, were conducted without the need for re-polling—a first in the state’s history. It also highlights that voter turnout reached record levels, particularly among women.
The authors stress that various monitoring and security measures exist within the electoral process. Each candidate can have an agent present at polling stations, who can take signed copies of the vote count. Electronic voting machines are sealed with agents’ signatures and stored securely, with provisions for matching machine counts with paper ballots, a process upheld by the Supreme Court in 2024.
They argue that significant electoral fraud would require collusion among thousands of officials across different political parties, which remains unproven. The letter also discusses the structure of the Election Commission, designed as a multi-member body to prevent decision-making power from being concentrated in one individual. This arrangement was upheld by the Supreme Court in 1995.
The former officials defend the Special Intensive Review (SIR) process, stating that updating voter lists and removing ineligible voters strengthens democracy. They acknowledge that while such processes may cause some inconvenience, they should not be judged based on political affiliations.
The letter mentions that the ruling party has lost elections in states like Himachal Pradesh, Karnataka, Telangana, Jharkhand, and Jammu and Kashmir during the Election Commission’s tenure. It argues that labeling the electoral system as fair when winning and fraudulent when losing is inappropriate.
According to the letter, the last thorough review of Bihar’s voter list occurred in 2003. The 2025 review revealed approximately 2.2 million deceased voters, 700,000 duplicate entries, and millions of individuals who had permanently relocated.
The authors state that maintaining outdated names on the voter list raises concerns about fraudulent voting. They clarify that the goal of updating the voter list is to enhance the reliability of the electoral process, not to disenfranchise voters.
The letter explains that the draft voter list is provisional and that the absence of a name does not equate to its permanent removal. Voter names cannot be removed without notice and an opportunity for a hearing, with two levels of appeal available. Each political party can also deploy agents alongside booth-level officers.
The letter notes that during the review, alongside the removal of deceased and duplicate names, approximately 2.15 million new voters were added.
It also references the Supreme Court’s oversight of the SIR process, which has monitored each step without halting it. The court ordered the publication of names excluded from the draft voter list and the reasons for their exclusion.
The letter states that the Supreme Court allowed online claims submission, accepted Aadhaar as proof of identity, and stipulated that any illegality found at any stage could lead to the annulment of the entire process. Free legal assistance for appeals was also arranged.
On May 27, 2026, the Supreme Court upheld the Election Commission’s authority under Article 324 of the Constitution and the Representation of the People Act, adding extra safeguards for wrongfully removed voters.
The former officials conclude that while mistakes should be corrected, respecting the court’s decision regarding the validity of the SIR process is part of constitutional democracy. They call on citizens to check their names and those of family members, neighbors, and migrant workers in the voter list, encouraging assistance in filing claims if names are missing.
The letter also highlights the door-to-door efforts of booth-level officers, often comprising teachers and Anganwadi workers, to ensure accurate voter registration.
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