{
  "id": 11360919,
  "title": "Election Commission making a mockery of the Constitution: Dipankar",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/10/02/election-commission-making-a-mockery-of-the-constitution-dipankar",
  "topic": "world",
  "section": "World",
  "published": "2026-10-02T05:05:10.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "The Hindu",
    "slug": "the-hindu",
    "url": "https://www.thehindu.com/news/national/election-commission-making-a-mockery-of-the-constitution-dipankar/article71533826.ece"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "Communist Party of India (Marxist-Leninist) Liberation General Secretary Dipankar Bhattacharya criticized the Election Commission of India (ECI) over alleged irregularities in the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) process. Mr. Bhattacharya alleged that Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar made decisions without consulting the other two members of the ECI during the revision process. During a public hearing in Patna, Bhattacharya highlighted a door-to-door survey conducted by the CPI (ML) Liberation, which covered 102 booths in ten constituencies. The survey revealed that out of 9,288 voters deleted during the SIR, 1,550 were found alive and at their addresses, indicating an error rate of at least 17%. Moreover, the survey found 351 voters among 1,964 deleted before the SIR, with an error rate of 18%. Bhattacharya alleged that the Election Commission was undermining the Constitution, law, and justice. He questioned the lack of transparency in the functioning and expenditure of constitutional bodies, especially during an economic crisis. A jury comprising experts found the SIR deletions unfair and called for action against the Chief Election Commissioner, scrapping the SIR process, and restoring voting rights for wrongly deleted voters. The public hearing also discussed decisions from an INDIA bloc meeting in Delhi, where members resolved to launch a mass campaign defending universal adult franchise. Bhattacharya expressed concern that the government had become more controlling, affecting voting rights, ration entitlements, and civil rights of voters. He also noted similar complaints in Delhi and West Bengal. The jury member, Prof. Bharti S. Kumar, stated that the survey results were shocking and alarming, emphasizing the need for the Chief Election Commissioner to resign immediately.",
  "summary": "He said this during a Jan Sunwai (public hearing) in Patna on the issue of wrongful SIR deletions in Bihar. The hearing was based on the findings of a voter verification survey conducted by the party in ten assembly constituencies.",
  "key_points": [
    "Dipankar Bhattacharya criticizes ECI for alleged irregularities in SIR process.",
    "Survey reveals 17% error rate in voter deletion, 18% before SIR.",
    "Experts call for Chief Election Commissioner's resignation and process overhaul."
  ],
  "editors_take": "The Election Commission's alleged irregularities in the voter revision process undermine the Constitution, law, and justice, eroding trust in the electoral process and threatening voting rights.",
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 1,
    "also_reported_by": []
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}