Concerns over India’s electoral integrity: International IDEA urged to review Gyanesh Kumar’s chairmanship
In a strongly worded appeal addressed to the International Institute for Democracy and Electoral Assistance (International IDEA), ecologist and former UN Environmental Negotiator Dr. S. Faizi has urged the organization to remove Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar from his position as Chair of its Council of Member States for 2026. The letter, addressed to International IDEA Secretary-General Dr. Kevin Casas-Zamora, also calls for the immediate establishment of an independent mechanism to monitor India’s electoral process.
The appeal comes amid mass democratic protests across India against the exclusion of millions of citizens from electoral rolls and mounting allegations of grave irregularities in electoral administration. According to the letter, protesters have been moving en masse to Delhi demanding the resignation of the Chief Election Commissioner and the current government. On October 10, authorities reportedly imposed severe security restrictions and detained demonstrators ahead of a major rally, actions the letter claims continue despite calls from the UN Human Rights Council for the release of arbitrarily detained individuals.
At the heart of the controversy is an extraordinary revision of the electoral rolls, which has reportedly seen more than 130 million people removed from draft lists nationwide. While the Election Commission of India states the exercise aims to remove deceased and duplicate electors, the scale of the deletions and the obstacles faced by citizens seeking restoration have raised profound questions. The letter cites documentary investigations, judicial proceedings, and media reports alleging that the exercise has disproportionately struck millions of Muslims from the electoral rolls.
Internal dissent within the Election Commission has further fueled concerns. The appeal notes that two other Election Commissioners reportedly formally objected on at least fourteen occasions over ten months to decisions and procedures associated with the Special Intensive Revision. These objections allegedly included unauthorized changes to statutory voter registration procedures and the centralization of electoral-roll data. Former Chief Election Commissioners S.Y. Quraishi and Om Prakash Rawat have publicly criticized the large-scale deletions as arbitrary and the procedural changes as illegal.
Particular concern is directed at modifications made to Form 6, the statutory application for inclusion in the electoral roll. The letter alleges that the Election Commission introduced an additional online declaration without following the prescribed rule-making process and falsely represented the modification as having been approved by the Supreme Court. Chief Justice Surya Kant has reportedly clarified that the Court did not approve the modified form and indicated the circumstances required examination.
The practical implications of these revisions are being felt acutely at the state level. In West Bengal, approximately 9 million names were removed, and former Supreme Court judge Justice Rohinton Fali Nariman has warned that many excluded citizens lack the resources to challenge their removal. Tribunal judges have reportedly identified serious shortcomings in the Election Commission’s digital portal for handling appeals. In Uttar Pradesh, discrepancies have been raised regarding the handling of over 1.6 million Form 6 applications collected prior to the publication of the draft roll, prompting calls for a transparent and independently verifiable accounting of the process.
These administrative concerns are compounded by recent legislative changes. The Chief Election Commissioner and Other Election Commissioners Act, 2023, replaced the Chief Justice of India on the selection committee with a Union Cabinet Minister nominated by the Prime Minister. The letter argues this gives the executive a decisive numerical advantage in appointments. Furthermore, the act grants election commissioners protection from civil and criminal proceedings for acts done in the discharge of their official duties, raising accountability concerns. The legislation was passed in December 2023 during a period when a large number of Opposition Members of Parliament were suspended, severely curtailing parliamentary scrutiny.
Adding to the crisis of confidence are evidence-based allegations concerning electronic voting. A report by Vote for Democracy on the 2024 Lok Sabha elections reportedly identified discrepancies between electronic voting machine records and recovered votes, unexplained increases in reported turnout, and irregularities in the publication of final figures. The letter emphasizes that these conclusions require independent technical verification and transparent auditing.
In light of these developments, Dr. Faizi has requested that International IDEA urgently review Gyanesh Kumar’s continuance as Chair and consult with the organization’s Vice-Chairs and troika on an appropriate institutional response. The appeal further requests that International IDEA convene an independent monitoring mechanism, developed in consultation with Indian political parties, civil society organizations, election experts, and constitutional lawyers. This mechanism would assess the entire electoral process, from voter registration and roll revision to polling, counting, and complaint resolution, for at least the next two to three election cycles.
The letter concludes by emphasizing that International IDEA’s response to the current crisis will demonstrate whether its core principles of advancing and protecting democracy are upheld, even when difficult questions concern the representative of a member state occupying the organization’s highest chairship.
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