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Read “Deep rot,” today’s lead editorial in The Hindu: https://t.co/Jj0HMlMxJr Electoral fraud is not uncommon in electoral democracies. But the SIR (Special Intensive Revision) conducted by the Election Commission of India under the authoritarian and arrogant reign of Gyanesh Kumar belongs to a special species. It is now beyond dispute that the SIR done in several States, and worst of all in West Bengal, has inflicted a grievous and seemingly irreparable wound on India’s electoral democracy. The revelation that Chief Election Commissioner Kumar pushed through decisions related to the SIR without the knowledge, let alone consent, of the two other Election Commissioners shows arbitrariness and lawlessness of the worst kind. The Indian Express must be commended for its investigation, which has exposed how deep and how high the rot has gone into the electoral system. Unfortunately, when the scandal of the ongoing SIR was taken to the Supreme Court of India in the expectation that it would act to uphold the constitutional guarantee of universal adult franchise, the highest court in the land failed the big test. Gyanesh Kumar must resign. An impeachment motion to remove the CEC is unlikely to make headway, given the numbers in the Lok Sabha. If Gyanesh Kumar, with the backing of the Union government, decides to brazen it out, mass democratic protest will be the only way to force him out.

So what does this look like on the ground? Goa has an answer. On January 29, the Supreme Court ordered that voters flagged for "logical discrepancies" during the SIR be heard and allowed to show documents. Goa did that. 649 voters came forward. In 97 cases, the officers on the ground found the earlier decision "has to be reversed" and the names put back on the roll. ECINet didn't permit it. The software had no button to reverse a deletion. ONLY Delhi could add one. (4/14)

Interesting day to get a notice the entire family seems to have failed SIR! Also the local official says that Passport plus PAN plus Adhaar is still not sufficient to prove that we can vote. He says other documents will be required - such as school leaving certificates! Is this common? I’m not sure how most people will get through this process.