Overview
- The Election Commission replied to an RTI on October 16 and told the applicant it would not reveal the name or version of the software used in the Special Intensive Revision, saying the details relate to commercial confidence and are exempt from disclosure.
- The ECI invoked Section 8(1)(d) of the RTI Act for trade secrets, Section 8(1)(g) for safety/confidential sources, and argued some questions were mere 'clarifications' outside the Act’s definition of information while also stating no new software was procured and that Electoral Registration Officers make final roll decisions.
- Opposition leaders, led by Congress general secretary Jairam Ramesh, said the refusal suggests the Commission is hiding centralised manipulation, pointed to Tata Consultancy Services disclosures about ECINET, and demanded Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar’s resignation and suspension of the SIR.
- Watchdogs and journalists note the SIR has already removed about 130 million names from rolls, which critics say creates a real risk of wrongful disenfranchisement if flagged removals cannot be audited or quickly remedied before the 2027 elections.
- The decision sharpens focus on vendor roles, internal dissent by members of the ECI over IT access, and next steps include a formal RTI appeal advised by a former CEC and intensified political protests and legal scrutiny of the SIR process.