Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s government is framing the move as cleaning India’s electoral register – which included around 970 million people before the changes – of dead or duplicate voters. But many people say the purge has disenfranchised them. Critics argue that voters who are less likely to support Modi’s BJP party, such as India’s 200 million Muslims, are disproportionately being cut. The exercise could erode public faith in India’s electoral system, which stood at 74% according to 2025 Pew polling, and cast doubt on the legitimacy of the country’s 2029 election.
Hard Numbers
India’s voter-list purge sparks backlash
Lottie Tellyn
By Lottie TellynOctober 08, 2026
Lottie Tellyn
Lottie is a reporter at GZERO, where she covers all things geopolitics for the website and daily newsletter. Before moving to the US, she reported for The Times and Sunday Times of London, writing about everything from sports and travel to foreign affairs and breaking news. Lottie has a bachelor’s in Politics, Philosophy and Economics from Oxford University, and a master’s in journalism from Columbia University. Originally from Hampshire, England, she now lives in New York, where she can usually be found inviting far too many people round for dinner, out running in the park, and trying to remember to drive on the wrong side of the road.
