Unkind cuts: On the Telangana and Karnataka electoral rolls

The Election Commission of India (ECI)'s Special Intensive Revision (SIR) process has resulted in the deletion of nearly 20% of names from the electoral rolls in Telangana and Karnataka, with a disproportionate impact on urban centres. The process has raised concerns about widespread disenfranchisement, a lack of transparency regarding the elector-to-population ratio, and the burden placed on citizens to prove their eligibility.