Not trueSaurav Daschecked 30 Sept 2026“Das claims that the powers of Electoral Registration Officers (EROs) at the constituency level to add and delete voters have been usurped and concentrated in the Delhi Election Commission, where an IT officer reporting to the government now controls these crucial functions.”
The official process described by the Election Commission and the Delhi Chief Electoral Officer still places additions and deletions with Electoral Registration Officers, with notices, recorded reasons and appeals. The claim that these powers have been usurped and concentrated in a Delhi Election Commission where an IT officer controls them names a mechanism the cited records do not show. The ECINet dispute is real, but it involves concerns about ERO discretion, not an established takeover by an IT officer.
What the evidence showsHide the evidence
What they said
Saurav Das claimed that the powers of Electoral Registration Officers (EROs) to add and delete voters have been usurped and concentrated in the Delhi Election Commission, where an IT officer reporting to the government controls these functions.
news9live.com, checked 30 Sept 2026
What is actually true
The Election Commission of India, which runs elections, has said field officers have role-based access to the ECINet system 'as per their statutory powers'. The Press Information Bureau, publishing the Election Commission's Special Intensive Revision safeguards on 25 July 2026, states that deletion happens only after reasons are recorded and the process under the Registration of Electors Rules, 1960 is followed, with appeals to the District Magistrate and then the Chief Electoral Officer. The Delhi Chief Electoral Officer's office has also said notices in the revision do not by themselves mean deletion, and that Electoral Registration Officers consider relevant material while deciding individual cases.
- The Election Commission has said field officers have role-based access to the ECINet system according to their statutory powers, not that an IT officer controls voter additions or deletions. [2]
- The Election Commission's published safeguards for the Special Intensive Revision say deletion requires recording of reasons and following the statutory process under the Registration of Electors Rules, 1960, with a right to appeal to the District Magistrate and then the Chief Electoral Officer. [9]
- The Delhi Chief Electoral Officer's office has clarified that Special Intensive Revision notices are part of verification and do not automatically mean deletion; Electoral Registration Officers consider relevant material while deciding individual cases. [3]
- Two Election Commissioners did flag on record that the ECINet software was curtailing the powers of Electoral Registration Officers, and the Maharashtra Chief Electoral Officer sought changes to restore ERO discretion, but this is an internal concern about software, not evidence that an IT officer has taken over the Delhi election machinery. [4]
[2] EC orders review of ECINET amid SIR row; Delhi, Maharashtra ... — indianexpress.com[3] SIR notices do not mean voter names will be deleted: Delhi ... — thestatesman.com[4] Maharashtra poll chief seeks more power for local election ... — indianexpress.com[9] ECI's Special Intensive Revision of Electoral Rolls Being ... — pib.gov.in
The official process described by the Election Commission and the Delhi Chief Electoral Officer still places additions and deletions with Electoral Registration Officers, with notices, recorded reasons and appeals. The claim that these powers have been usurped and concentrated in a Delhi Election Commission where an IT officer controls them names a mechanism the cited records do not show. The ECINet dispute is real, but it involves concerns about ERO discretion, not an established takeover by an IT officer.