Full Breakdown
Maharashtra Chief Electoral Officer Seeks ECINet Software Changes to Restore Electoral Registration Officer (ERO) Discretion
By Drooid · · How we work
Core Event: Request for Software Amendments
On September 29 2026, Maharashtra Chief Electoral Officer S. Chockalingam asked the Election Commission of India to modify the ECINet platform. In a letter dated September 24 he proposed four changes to let Electoral Registration Officers exercise statutory discretion when handling “logical discrepancies” in the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of the state’s electoral rolls: waive personal hearings for voters with satisfactory documents, add a broader “other/other-equivalent document” option for vulnerable groups, allow EROs to resolve certain cases without forwarding them to District Election Officers, and make the mandatory upload of the previous SIR extract optional.
Background & Context
The SIR is a statewide audit intended to remove duplicate, deceased, or otherwise ineligible entries. The draft roll released on August 31 excluded 21.1 percent of Maharashtra’s electors, prompting a large number of notices. “Logical discrepancies” are software-generated mismatches—such as differences in a parent’s name or implausible age gaps—that do not by themselves disqualify a voter.
Election Commissioners Sukhbir Singh Sandhu and Vivek Joshi warned on August 14 that centralized control of ECINet was curtailing ERO powers, forming the backdrop for Chockalingam’s request.
Data & Statistics
- 2.07 crore voters in Maharashtra could not be enumerated or were flagged as absent, deceased, shifted, or duplicate.
- 21.1 percent of electors were omitted from the August 31 draft roll.
- The EC extended the deadline for filing SIR claims from September 30 to October 12.
- The final electoral roll is scheduled for publication on November 16.
Timeline
- August 14 – Commissioners Sandhu and Joshi note ERO powers being curtailed.
- August 31 – Draft roll published, excluding 21.1 percent of voters.
- September 24 – Chockalingam sends a letter outlining four software change requests.
- September 29 – Public disclosure of the request.
- September 30 – Original deadline for SIR objections (later extended).
- September 26 – EC issues a statement partially addressing the requests and announces eight related decisions.
- October 12 – Extended deadline for SIR objections.
- November 16 – Scheduled release of the final roll.
Official Statements & Responses
Following a meeting on September 26, the EC released a four-page note that partially incorporated Chockalingam’s proposals and announced eight decisions aligning with the commissioners’ concerns. It also established a committee, chaired by a Senior Deputy Election Commissioner and including an independent expert from an IIT or IIIT, to review ECINet’s compliance with applicable laws.
Under the revised procedure, Booth Level Officers will visit voters who receive notices, collect documents, and upload them to ECINet. Personal hearings before an ERO will occur only in “exceptional circumstances” and, where held, will preferably be conducted online.
Criticism & Opposition
Maharashtra Congress spokesperson Atul Londhe accused Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar of diluting ERO authority through ECINet. Londhe cited the involvement of Director General of IT Seema Khanna and Senior Deputy Election Commissioner Maneesh Garg in implementing the centralized controls, arguing that the changes undermine field officials’ ability to determine voter eligibility.
Why It Matters
Restoring ERO discretion could reduce the administrative burden on voters—particularly those from tribal, homeless, or sex-worker communities who may lack prescribed documents. By allowing exemptions from personal hearings and broader document acceptance, the changes aim to streamline the SIR process and enhance the inclusivity of the final roll.
What’s Next
The final electoral roll is slated for publication on November 16. The EC-appointed committee will continue its review of ECINet, and any further recommendations may lead to additional software modifications before the roll’s release.