Kamta Prasad, a 53-year-old tailor from Delhi, is currently caught in a surreal bureaucratic nightmare: he is desperately trying to prove to the government that he is still alive. He is just one of 130 million citizens recently struck from India’s electoral rolls during a contentious revision process. For many, including Prasad, this error has meant missing out on daily wages while navigating endless paperwork. While the Election Commission claims these deletions are necessary to remove duplicate or ineligible voters, critics argue the process is riddled with flaws, pointing to mass removals that have sparked widespread protests and accusations of political bias against the ruling government.

The situation has hit the most vulnerable citizens the hardest, as many fear that losing their voting status will eventually lead to the loss of essential government welfare schemes and subsidized rations. Families are being pushed into a maze of hearings and appeals, with some officials even suggesting they re-register from scratch rather than fixing existing records. This bureaucratic hurdle ignores years of voting history for many residents, leaving them frustrated and disenfranchised. Despite recent promises of fresh verification in some areas following public outcry, the struggle to restore their names remains a daunting and uncertain ordeal for millions.