Surjewala pointed to the Maharashtra draft electoral roll, where he claims 21.1 percent of electors were omitted during the Special Integrated Revision process. According to the Congress leader, this technical centralization disproportionately impacts vulnerable populations, including tribal communities, migrants, and the homeless. He demanded an immediate halt to the current revision process, citing concerns over administrative transparency and institutional credibility under Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar.
The criticism arrives as internal friction surfaces within the poll panel. Reports indicate that Election Commissioners Sukhbir Singh Sandhu and Vivek Joshi have previously flagged concerns regarding the centralization of databases and restricted state-level access. In response to the growing controversy, the commission formed a committee on September 26, led by a Senior Deputy Election Commissioner and joined by an independent technology expert, to audit ECINet’s legal compliance.
Election officials maintain that the platform remains decentralized, with statutory responsibilities still resting with field officers. To address the immediate fallout in Maharashtra, the commission has extended the deadline for filing claims and objections to October 12, emphasizing that names absent from the draft are not permanently deleted and can be reinstated through established procedures.
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