Indian authorities deleted 130 million people from electoral rolls in what opposition figures called a politically motivated move.
A third of voters in one region were removed, and millions appear to have been wrongly purged, Indian journalist Krishn Kaushik wrote in the Financial Times, noting that attempts to prove their identity are often rejected.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s party is suspected of ordering the cull: Its recent first-ever victory in the state of West Bengal followed 2.7 million voters being deleted.
India has become increasingly authoritarian under Modi — an autobiography of former opposition leader Sonia Gandhi was dropped, allegedly due to her criticism of Modi — but it remains economically vibrant. Annualized growth reached 7.8% in the second quarter.
