Congress has accused the Election Commission of India (ECI) of adding a 'mark VIP' feature to its booth-level officer (BLO) application during the ongoing special intensive revision (SIR) of electoral rolls. The party says this could create a separate process for influential voters.
The allegation was raised by Congress Rajya Sabha MP and media and publicity department head Pawan Khera at a press conference in New Delhi. The party's central question is simple: why should any voter be marked differently from the rest?
What Congress Is Accusing the ECI Of
According to the Congress, the BLO application used by booth-level officers now carries a 'mark VIP' option. Booth-level officers are the ground-level officials who verify voter details during the SIR.
Congress argues that if such a marking exists, it raises a basic fairness question. The party wants to know the legal basis for classifying ministers, judges, bureaucrats, celebrities and others as VIP electors.
In its view, the very existence of a VIP category inside a voter verification tool is a problem. The party has framed the issue directly: one rule for VIP voters, one for others.
The Questions Congress Wants Answered
Congress has asked the ECI to disclose the complete protocol for marked electors. Specifically, it wants answers on:
- What is the legal basis for marking certain voters as VIP electors?
- Do marked VIP electors receive exemptions during the SIR?
- Do they get priority treatment at any stage of the process?
- What is the full protocol followed for these marked electors?
The party's demand is for full transparency. Without the protocol being public, Congress says, voters have no way of knowing whether the process treats everyone equally.
Why This Matters During the SIR
The SIR is a revision of electoral rolls, and booth-level officers play a direct role in it. If a marking feature exists in their application, it sits right at the point where voter details are checked and updated.
That is why Congress is pressing the ECI for answers now, while the revision is still underway, rather than after it is complete. The party has not alleged a specific case of misuse. Its charge is about the design of the system itself.
Our Take: The ECI Must Answer Clearly
To put it plainly, this is not a complicated demand. Congress is asking the Election Commission a straightforward question: does a VIP marking exist in the BLO application, and if so, under what rules?
In our view, the ECI should answer without delay. An election body's credibility rests on one principle — every voter is treated the same. If a VIP category exists, the Commission must explain its legal basis and exactly what benefits it carries.
If no such feature exists, the ECI should say so clearly and put the matter to rest. Either way, silence is the worst response. A vague answer will only feed the suspicion that the process has two tracks.
For readers, the takeaway is direct. The SIR touches every voter's registration. If influential people are verified differently from ordinary citizens, that affects the fairness of the rolls themselves. The ECI owes the public a clear, complete answer — not just to Congress, but to every elector on the list.
