Reports emerging from West Bengal during the ongoing Special Summary Revision (SIR) process have torn open a wound the country has ignored for far too long. Allegations that fake voter cards and Aadhaar cards were issued to individuals who are not Indian citizens are not routine administrative lapses. They strike at the core of India’s democratic integrity. Moreover, the real shock is not that such violations reportedly occurred, but that they could have persisted for so many years without the Election Commission of India (ECI) ever deploying the very tool that is now bringing them to light.

Why did it take until 2024 for the Commission to seriously use the SIR to clean up the voter rolls? Why did India’s electoral guardian, the same institution that manages the world’s largest democratic exercise, choose to operate without a mechanism that should have been standard protocol? Why did every political party, government after government, remain mute spectators while a process essential to the authenticity of our elections lay unused?

For decades, the ECI’s reputation has rested on efficient election management. Ballots reached remote villages, EVMs were secured, and votes were counted on time. However,........

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