New Lokniti-CSDS survey reveals steep fall in public trust in ECI

A new survey conducted by Lokniti-CSDS has raised serious concerns about the credibility of the Election Commission of India (ECI), warning of both a steep decline in public trust and the risk of disenfranchisement for poorer and marginalised citizens due to the commission’s Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls.

The study, titled 'How document deficits may risk disenfranchising the poor, eroding trust in the Election Commission' and featured in The Hindu, found that while the requirement for multiple identity and residence documents might appear “reasonable” for wealthier citizens, it poses daunting obstacles for those with fewer resources. For large sections of the poor, illiterate, rural or socially disadvantaged, the process risks excluding genuine voters from the rolls altogether.

Sharp inequalities in document access

The data revealed striking disparities in document possession across class and caste lines. Aadhaar coverage was nearly universal, but access to other forms of identification varied widely. Nine in ten respondents from the general category reported owning a PAN card, compared with just over half among Scheduled Castes (SCs) and Scheduled Tribes (STs). Possession of passports was extremely limited, with only one in five in the general category holding one, and a mere 5 per cent among SCs and 4 per cent among STs.

Birth certificate coverage was even lower. Fewer than half of respondents in any caste group had one, and among SCs the figure dropped to about one in four. At the household level, only one in ten poor families reported that all adult members had birth certificates. Wealth gaps were also evident — nearly half of respondents in the highest income group possessed passports, compared to just one in 20 among the poor.

Lokniti-CSDS researchers noted that these patterns reflected long-term generational disadvantages: older members of poor households often lacked access to education and official documentation, leaving their families more vulnerable to exclusion today.

Regional and demographic divides

The survey also flagged sharp regional differences. In Uttar Pradesh, nearly three in five respondents said they lacked at least one required document. Similar problems were reported by 61 per cent in Madhya Pradesh and 51 per cent in West Bengal, whereas in Kerala the figure was only 18 per cent.

Particular groups emerged as most at risk if birth certificates became compulsory for voter roll verification: illiterate (42 per cent), elderly (41 per cent), poor (39 per cent) and rural residents (32 per cent). These figures underline the danger that entire swathes of the electorate could be pushed to the margins of the democratic process.

Public concern and trust deficit

Beyond the logistical hurdles, the findings revealed an unprecedented decline in faith in the Election Commission itself. Close to half (45 per cent) of respondents believed that genuine voters might be wrongly removed from the rolls under SIR, while only one in four expressed confidence that such errors would not occur.

Levels of trust in the ECI have fallen dramatically since the last general election. In Uttar Pradesh, the proportion of people who expressed “high trust” in the commission dropped from 56 per cent in 2019 to just 31 per cent in 2025. In West Bengal, the fall was from 68 per cent to 41 per cent, with comparable declines in Assam, Kerala and Madhya Pradesh.

Just over one-quarter of respondents said they were “very confident” that all eligible voters would remain on the rolls; one in six had “not much” confidence, and nearly one in ten expressed no confidence at all.

The Hindu described the loss of trust as “unprecedented”, warning that it could fundamentally undermine the credibility of the electoral process.

Earlier Lokniti-CSDS findings

This report comes only two days after another Lokniti-CSDS survey, which highlighted waning public faith in Indian institutions more broadly, including the Supreme Court and Parliament. That earlier study found that while trust remained relatively higher in the judiciary, confidence in Parliament and political parties had also weakened. Together, the two surveys suggest a wider crisis of institutional credibility in India, of which the ECI’s plight is only the most alarming example.

Political responses

The survey has already drawn sharp political reactions. Political activist Yogendra Yadav, posting on X, said the findings showed a “sharp fall in the level of public trust in the EC” and directly linked the decline to the recent conduct of the Chief Election Commissioner, remarking: “Now you know why.”

Author Saba Naqvi urged readers to reflect on the broader implications of the report: “A public institution is always subject to scrutiny in a democracy. That posture of ‘don’t ask questions’ applies to totalitarian regimes.”

Nationalist Congress Party spokesperson Anish Gawande described the results as “alarming”, warning that the erosion of trust in the commission should concern everyone: “People are losing faith in one of India’s most sacred institutions.”

The larger danger

The Lokniti-CSDS report concluded that the SIR process, by shifting the burden of proof onto citizens while the state fails to guarantee access to documents, risks pushing disadvantaged groups into the status of “doubtful citizens”. Such a scenario, it argued, would not only strip individuals of their voting rights but could also corrode the very legitimacy of the Election Commission — an institution central to ensuring that Indian elections are accepted as free and fair.

The findings come at a sensitive political moment, with the ECI already under Opposition fire. Lok Sabha Leader of Opposition Rahul Gandhi has accused the Commission of “vote chori” (theft) and voter list manipulation, intensifying the debate over whether India’s electoral watchdog can still command the confidence of the people it serves.