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Shashi Tharoor Calls for Scrapping ECINet After Goa Voter Deletions
By Drooid · · How we work
Goa Voter Deletions Spark Outcry
A report in *The Indian Express* identified 97 voters in Goa whose names were removed from the final electoral roll despite being deemed eligible by Electoral Registration Officers (EROs). The deletions could also block access to state welfare schemes such as the Goa Mediclaim Scheme, which provides dialysis, transplants and other high-cost treatments only to registered voters. Goa’s Chief Electoral Officer Sanjay Goel wrote to the Election Commission of India eight times in seven days seeking permission to reverse the deletions, but the centralized ECINet system required approval from Delhi, preventing local officials from making the changes.
Tharoor’s Demand and Public Reaction
On September 24, 2026, Congress MP Shashi Tharoor posted on X that the episode was “extremely serious” and called for the resignation of the Election Commission’s leadership, the withdrawal of ECINet, and an apology to the affected citizens. He framed the issue as a violation of constitutional voting rights and a denial of essential humanitarian benefits.
Background on ECINet and Internal EC Objections
ECINet, the Election Commission’s digital platform for real-time election updates and roll management, was launched in January 2026 after a beta trial during the Bihar polls the previous November. Election Commissioners Sukhbir Singh Sandhu and Vivek Joshi have recorded at least 14 objections over ten months to decisions they feared would reduce state-level oversight, including concerns about voter-deletion appeals and the centralisation of the ERONet system.
Election Commission’s Response
In a press note, the Election Commission asserted that all decisions related to the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) and ECINet were unanimous and approved by the Chief Election Commissioner and both Election Commissioners. The statement described differing views among officials as a normal part of deliberation, emphasizing that every officer is authorised to offer suggestions for improving the electoral system.
Data & Statistics
- 97 eligible voters left off the Goa roll (The Indian Express).
- Goa’s Chief Electoral Officer sent eight letters to the Election Commission within seven days seeking reversal authority.
- Commissioners Sandhu and Joshi logged 14 objections over a ten-month period concerning ECINet-related changes.
Verbatim Quotes
- “This is extremely serious and involves depriving Indian citizens of their constitutional rights, as well as withholding essential humanitarian benefits, from dialysis treatments to transplants,” — Shashi Tharoor
