ECI launches nationwide voter roll revision, Maharashtra excluded; Barrister Vinod Tiwari questions decision, to approach Supreme Court

Mumbai: The Election Commission of India (ECI) has begun a nationwide “Special Intensive Revision” (SIR) of electoral rolls from November 1, with the first phase covering Tamil Nadu, West Bengal and Punjab. However, Maharashtra has not been included in the exercise, prompting legal and political objections. Senior advocate Barrister Vinod Tiwari has questioned the exclusion and announced that a special leave petition will be filed before the Supreme Court seeking the inclusion of Maharashtra in the revision exercise before local body elections are conducted in the state.

Tiwari stated that Maharashtra’s electoral rolls reportedly contain lakhs of duplicate and multiple entries, as well as names of deceased voters, raising concerns regarding fairness and credibility of upcoming civic polls. Conducting elections without first correcting and updating the rolls would amount to undermining democratic principles, he said. He argued that until a proper and rigorous voter-list cleansing process is completed, local body elections in the state should be postponed.

Tiwari pointed out that the State Election Commission (SEC) does not have the legal authority to independently correct such widespread errors in the electoral rolls, as they are prepared and maintained by the ECI. “If incorrect rolls are used, the entire election process will be compromised. Transparent and credible elections require clean voter lists. Maharashtra must be included in the Special Intensive Revision process immediately,” he said.

He further noted that while the Supreme Court has directed that local body elections in Maharashtra be completed by January 31, 2026, the constitutional spirit of ensuring free and fair elections cannot be ignored. “Even if polls are delayed by four to six months, accuracy and transparency must take precedence. We are committed to pursuing this issue legally. We will not remain silent,” Tiwari added.

Opposition parties in Maharashtra have supported the demand, and a protest march was held in Mumbai raising concerns over alleged irregularities in the state’s electoral rolls. Maharashtra Navnirman Sena (MNS) chief Raj Thackeray also commented on the matter during the demonstration, backing the call for a thorough voter-list revision before conducting civic polls.

Tiwari said the “Council for Protection of Rights” has already begun preparations to move the Supreme Court seeking permission to delay elections in the state until revised and authenticated electoral rolls are published. “This is a matter of democratic integrity. Voters must have confidence in the system,” he stated.