US Congresswoman Pramila Jayapal voices concern over 130 million voter names in draft electoral rolls
Indian-origin US Congresswoman Pramila Jayapal from Washington's 7th congressional district has voiced concern over the removal of 130 million voter names from draft electoral rolls following the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) conducted by India's Election Commission. In an X post dated 14th October 2026, Jayapal drew a parallel between the voter roll exercise and actions by the Trump Administration in the US, stating that protecting democracies and ensuring free and fair elections is essential work.
Jayapal expressed support for non-violent resistance movements against what she characterised as anti-democratic efforts in India. She stated that Indian and American people alike deserve free and fair elections and stand with those engaging in peaceful protests.
The deletions from draft electoral rolls stem from the Special Intensive Revision, a nationwide house-to-house enumeration exercise conducted after a gap of nearly 24 years. Officials clarified that the removals represent exclusions from draft rolls during the revision process rather than permanent deletions from final electoral registers. The SIR was undertaken to update and clean electoral rolls across 30 states.
