India’s Electoral Commission is reviewing the eligibility of over 500 million voters across 12 states and territories ahead of local elections next year. This Special Intensive Revision aims to remove illegal migrants from the voters’ list, according to officials. However, critics warn the process could disenfranchise legitimate voters, particularly in regions dominated by opposition parties. Communities, including migrant workers and those living in informal settlements, fear being excluded due to missing documents or discrepancies in outdated records. Concerns are especially high in West Bengal, where residents like 62-year-old Gita Chowdhury, who lost her citizenship documents in a fire, worry they may no longer be eligible to vote. While the commission assures voters that legitimate names will remain on the rolls, critics argue the rushed process could lead to errors, leaving many unable to cast their ballot. A similar exercise in Bihar earlier this year removed over 4.7 million names from the voter list. Amid rising tensions and allegations of government interference, questions linger over the independence of the electoral process in one of the world’s largest democracies. Al Jazeera’s Barnaby Lo reports. Subscribe to our channel: http://bit.ly/AJSubscribe Follow us on X: https://twitter.com/AJEnglish Find us on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/aljazeera Check our website: http://www.aljazeera.com/ Check out our Instagram page: https://www.instagram.com/aljazeeraenglish/ Download AJE Mobile App: https://aje.io/AJEMobile #IndiaElections #India VoterListReview #IndiaPolitics #IndiaVoterRights #IndiaCitizenshipVerification #BJP #IndiaVoterSuppression