GS Paper: GS Paper II | Subject: Polity
Prelims
Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of Electoral Rolls (The Hindu, 04-06-2026)
- ~6.5 crore names deleted from electoral rolls across 13 States/UTs under SIR
- 27 lakh cases still under adjudication
- Art. 326: Universal adult suffrage — right to vote
- Art. 324: Election Commission of India as constitutional body
- SIR conducted by ECI to clean up rolls — but deletions disproportionately affected minorities in West Bengal
- Deletion from rolls ≠ non-citizenship (AIMIM's Owaisi, 2026)
- West Bengal 2026 elections: 2,500+ CAPF companies deployed; BJP won first-ever Bengal assembly majority after SIR deletions
Assembly Elections 2026 — Results (The Hindu, 04-06-2026)
- Tamil Nadu: TVK (Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam) led by C. Joseph Vijay won — ended ~60-yr DMK-AIADMK duopoly
- West Bengal: BJP won for first time — ousted TMC (Mamata Banerjee) after 15 years
- Kerala: Congress-led UDF won (102/140 seats) — CPI(M) ousted after completing rare back-to-back terms (2016–2026)
- Assam: BJP (Himanta Biswa Sarma) won 2nd consecutive term
- "Double engine sarkar" concept pushed by BJP — same party at Centre and States
Mains
SIR & Electoral Roll Integrity (The Hindu, 04-06-2026)
- Constitutional concern: Art. 326 grants universal adult suffrage; administrative deletion of 6.5 crore names raises questions about voter suppression via process rather than law
- ECI's role: Art. 324 gives ECI superintendence over elections — but SIR process is administrative and can be misused; need for judicial oversight of bulk deletions
- Disenfranchisement without disqualification: Deletion ≠ non-citizen; removes right to vote without any legal process. Violates procedural fairness under Art. 21 (right to life includes political participation)
- Minority impact: In Bengal, deletions disproportionately hit Muslim voters (27% of electorate) → BJP won with no Muslim MLAs in ruling alliance. Pattern suggests SIR as political tool
- Reform needed: Pre-deletion notices, hearings, judicial review of bulk deletions; independent audit of SIR process
2026 Assembly Elections — Political Implications (The Hindu, 04-06-2026)
- Tamil Nadu: TVK's win shows Gen Z voters prioritize governance over ideological/caste identity — end of Dravidian duopoly; similar to how DMK ended Congress dominance in 1967
- Bengal: BJP victory through combination of SIR, CAPF deployment, anti-incumbency (R.G. Kar case), Hindu vote consolidation; raises questions about election integrity
- Kerala: Congress-UDF win with forward caste leader (V.D. Satheesan) suggests shift away from communal formations; Muslim League's continued rise complicates secular politics
- Double engine sarkar debate: Centre's claim that same-party governance improves development outcomes is empirically contested; federalism should allow diverse party outcomes
- GS2 exam angle: Connect to free and fair elections, role of ECI, federalism, political parties, electoral reforms (simultaneous elections debate)