The Wire: New Delhi: Monday, 26 October 2026.
In response to a RTI application by MA Mujeeb Ayyub, the Election Commission has declined the information saying that it relates to “commercial confidence, trade secrets and intellectual property” and is exempted under Section 8(1)(d) RTI Act, 2005.
Amid the ongoing uproar
over the contentious special intensive revision (SIR) of the electoral rolls,
the Election Commission of India has declined to disclose the software it has
used in the exercise to identify errors and anomalies in the voter rolls, a
Right to Information (RTI) query has revealed.
In response to a RTI application by MA Mujeeb Ayyub, the Election Commission has declined the information saying that it relates to “commercial confidence, trade secrets and intellectual property” and is exempted under Section 8(1)(d) RTI Act, 2005. The poll body added in its response dated October 16 that “no new software has been developed or procured for the SIR exercise,” and that electoral registration officers (EROs) decide on the inclusion or exclusion of an elector “on the basis of facts and records.”
Hindustan Times reported that in his RTI query, Ayub had sought to know the name and version of the software, application or AI platform used to detect errors or inconsistencies in voter data; whether such a system automatically flags records for verification, correction or deletion, and the workflow that follows. He also sought to know whether AI, machine learning, predictive analytics or automated decision support tools were used at any stage; the safeguards against false positives and wrongful flagging of genuine electors; and the authority that reviews or approves flagged anomalies before action is taken on a voter’s record.
In response to the authority that reviews flagged anomalies, the RTI response cited Section 8(1)(g). This provision exempts information under the Act, the disclosure of which would endanger the life or physical safety of any person or identify the source of information or assistance given in confidence for law enforcement or security purposes.
The Election Commission’s response further added that under Sections 13B(1) and 13B(2) of the Representation of the People Act, 1950, the ERO of the concerned assembly constituency is the statutory authority responsible for preparing and revising the electoral roll of that constituency.
The revelations in the RTI come as 13 crore voters have been excluded following the SIR. Last month, The Indian Express had reported that Election Commissioners Sukhbir Singh Sandhu and Vivek Joshi had objected 14 times in 10 months to the conduct of the exercise. The two election commissioners had also written to the cabinet secretary T.V. Somanathan. The Indian Express report had also noted that EROs had their access curtailed by the central IT team.
Just last week The Wire reported that the ECI software had deleted 5.38 lakh voters in West Bengal through Form 7 objections without any person having filed them, with auto generated rejections without citing a reason. The Wire has also reported that in Bengal, the Election Commission filed 16 lakh appeals against included voters over the course of three days as the voter rolls were frozen for the assembly elections in April.
In response to a RTI application by MA Mujeeb Ayyub, the Election Commission has declined the information saying that it relates to “commercial confidence, trade secrets and intellectual property” and is exempted under Section 8(1)(d) RTI Act, 2005.
 |
| Barricades installed outside the Election Commission of India's office in Delhi. Photo: PTI |
In response to a RTI application by MA Mujeeb Ayyub, the Election Commission has declined the information saying that it relates to “commercial confidence, trade secrets and intellectual property” and is exempted under Section 8(1)(d) RTI Act, 2005. The poll body added in its response dated October 16 that “no new software has been developed or procured for the SIR exercise,” and that electoral registration officers (EROs) decide on the inclusion or exclusion of an elector “on the basis of facts and records.”
Hindustan Times reported that in his RTI query, Ayub had sought to know the name and version of the software, application or AI platform used to detect errors or inconsistencies in voter data; whether such a system automatically flags records for verification, correction or deletion, and the workflow that follows. He also sought to know whether AI, machine learning, predictive analytics or automated decision support tools were used at any stage; the safeguards against false positives and wrongful flagging of genuine electors; and the authority that reviews or approves flagged anomalies before action is taken on a voter’s record.
In response to the authority that reviews flagged anomalies, the RTI response cited Section 8(1)(g). This provision exempts information under the Act, the disclosure of which would endanger the life or physical safety of any person or identify the source of information or assistance given in confidence for law enforcement or security purposes.
The Election Commission’s response further added that under Sections 13B(1) and 13B(2) of the Representation of the People Act, 1950, the ERO of the concerned assembly constituency is the statutory authority responsible for preparing and revising the electoral roll of that constituency.
The revelations in the RTI come as 13 crore voters have been excluded following the SIR. Last month, The Indian Express had reported that Election Commissioners Sukhbir Singh Sandhu and Vivek Joshi had objected 14 times in 10 months to the conduct of the exercise. The two election commissioners had also written to the cabinet secretary T.V. Somanathan. The Indian Express report had also noted that EROs had their access curtailed by the central IT team.
Just last week The Wire reported that the ECI software had deleted 5.38 lakh voters in West Bengal through Form 7 objections without any person having filed them, with auto generated rejections without citing a reason. The Wire has also reported that in Bengal, the Election Commission filed 16 lakh appeals against included voters over the course of three days as the voter rolls were frozen for the assembly elections in April.
.JPG)
.JPG)
