‘Rigged when you lose’: 124 former civil servants back ECI, SIR in open letter to citizens

A group of 124 former IAS, IFS and allied services officers has backed the Election Commission of India (ECI) amid allegations of electoral irregularities, arguing that claims of vote rigging must be supported by verifiable evidence. This comes amid the ongoing debate over electoral integrity, with the Cockroach Janata Party (CJP) and opposition parties holding protests in the national capital.

In an open letter addressed to citizens, the former bureaucrats also defended the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls, describing it as an exercise to remove inaccuracies and maintain reliable voter lists.

“We belong to no party. We write because one word, ‘rigged’, is now thrown at our elections without evidence, and every repetition wounds democratic trust that belongs to all of us,” the letter read.

Officers point to changes in election management

The letter recalled an earlier era marked by booth capturing, ballot box stuffing and election-related violence, contrasting it with safeguards now in place, including polling agents, EVM sealing, strong-room security and VVPAT verification.

Citing the 2025 Bihar Assembly elections, the officers said the polls recorded the highest voter turnout since 1951 and required no re-polling. They presented this as evidence of improvements in election management.

The letter also referred to election results that went against the party ruling at the Centre, including the 2024 Lok Sabha polls, arguing that the same electoral system cannot be considered credible only when a party wins.

“A system cannot be honest when you win and rigged when you lose,” the letter stated.

Officers defend SIR

The former officers argued that electoral rolls must be updated to identify deceased voters, duplicate registrations and people who have permanently moved elsewhere.

According to their letter, Bihar's revision exercise identified around 22 lakh deceased electors and seven lakh duplicate entries, while approximately 21.5 lakh new voters were added.

They said the process included draft roll publication, claims and objections, hearings and appeal provisions to address concerns over wrongful exclusion.

Evidence urged over allegations

The officers said electoral disputes should be pursued through established legal channels, including objections to voter lists and election petitions before High Courts.

“Questioning is every citizen’s right. Proving is the accuser’s duty,” they said, warning that unsupported allegations could erode public confidence in democratic institutions.

The letter also urged citizens to verify their registration and help family members, neighbours and migrant workers check their names on electoral rolls.