States » SouthPosted at: Oct 10 2026 5:39PM


124 former bureaucrats defend ECI, demand proof of poll rigging

Bengaluru, Oct 10 (UNI) A total of 124 former civil servants, including retired IAS and IFS officers, have defended the Election Commission of India (ECI) against allegations of electoral manipulation, asserting that claims of “rigging” must be backed by evidence and warning that unsubstantiated allegations could undermine public trust in democracy.
In an open letter to the citizens of India, the signatories, including former ambassador Bhaswati Mukherjee and former Karnataka Additional Chief Secretary M Madan Gopal, said India’s electoral system had evolved significantly from the era of booth capturing, ballot-box theft and voter intimidation.
Citing Bihar’s 2025 Assembly elections, the signatories claimed that the state recorded its highest voter turnout since 1951, with women participating in record numbers, and witnessed no repolling. They attributed the outcome to safeguards introduced by the ECI, including the presence of polling agents, sealing of electronic voting machines (EVMs), strongroom security and verification of paper slips.
“Questioning is every citizen’s right. Proving is the accuser’s duty,” the letter said, arguing that allegations of electoral malpractice should be pursued through established legal mechanisms, including objections to electoral rolls and election petitions before High Courts.
Defending the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls, the former officials said the exercise was necessary to remove ineligible entries and improve the accuracy of voter lists. Referring to Bihar, they claimed that officials had identified around 22 lakh deceased electors, seven lakh duplicate entries and several lakh people who had permanently moved away.
They said the revision was accompanied by the addition of around 21.5 lakh new voters and maintained that the process included safeguards such as notices, hearings and appeals for those whose names were omitted.
The signatories also cited the Supreme Court’s interventions in the SIR process, including directions concerning the publication of names excluded from the draft rolls, the filing of claims and the acceptance of Aadhaar as proof of identity. They said the court had upheld the Election Commission’s authority to conduct the exercise under Article 324 of the Constitution and the Representation of the People Act.
The letter further argued that electoral outcomes under the same commission had varied, pointing to the ruling party at the Centre losing elections in Himachal Pradesh, Karnataka, Telangana, Jharkhand and Jammu and Kashmir, as well as failing to secure a majority on its own in the 2024 Lok Sabha elections.
“A system cannot be honest when you win and rigged when you lose,” the letter said.
Urging citizens to verify their names on electoral rolls and assist family members, neighbours and migrant workers in checking their registration, the former officials said any omissions should be addressed through the prescribed claims process.
They also acknowledged the work of Booth Level Officers, many of whom are teachers and anganwadi workers, saying sweeping allegations of fraud could unfairly discredit officials involved in maintaining electoral rolls.
The letter called on political leaders and citizens to raise questions about the electoral process while ensuring that allegations were supported by verifiable evidence.
“With faith in India’s democracy and its citizens,” the letter concluded.
UNI BDN
Tags: #124 former bureaucrats defend ECI# demand proof of poll rigging
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