The Election Commission ordered a review of its voter-roll software 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.
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 in connection with the process of updating voters’ lists that began last year.
Opposition parties and the youth-led Cockroach Janta Party have demanded Kumar’s resignation, holding protests on Saturday.
The Commission said 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 and said local officials would visit voters flagged for discrepancies. — Reuters
