(Reuters): The Election Commission of India ordered a review of its voter-roll software on Saturday after a newspaper reported that its chief had been questioned by his deputies over changes to voter lists that excluded millions of voters.
Opposition parties have said the lists have been manipulated to benefit Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP). The Election Commission of India has said differences are normal in any institution, and that all its actions were lawful.
The Indian Express newspaper reported this week that two election commissioners had raised questions or expressed concerns to Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar at least 14 times in 10 months, mostly about the process of updating voters’ lists that began last year.
Opposition parties and the youth-led Cockroach Janta Party have demanded Kumar’s resignation. The CJP said it would launch nationwide protests on October 2 if he did not quit by Saturday.
The commission said on Saturday that a committee led by a senior election official and including an independent technology expert would examine whether the software complied with election laws and rules.
It also said local officials would visit voters flagged for discrepancies, rather than routinely requiring them to appear at government offices.
