US cites India on voter IDs, but are elections under Modi clean?

What the report says

US President Donald Trump is citing India’s voter identification rules to argue for stricter election requirements in the United States, including proof of citizenship for federal voters and tougher ID checks. In a Truth Social post, he pointed to India’s large-scale elections and said every voter must show valid photo identification, using that example to support the SAVE America Act, a Republican-backed bill that has already passed the House and remains controversial.

Al Jazeera notes that India’s election system is widely regarded for its scale and logistics, but it has also drawn scrutiny over electoral rolls, campaign practices and concerns about institutional independence under Prime Minister Narendra Modi. The Election Commission of India introduced photo IDs in 1993 to reduce impersonation, and India conducts elections over multiple phases because of its size. Postal voting exists, but only for certain groups such as service members and some others unable to vote in person.

The article says voter ID rules have not ended allegations of irregularities in India. Opposition leader Rahul Gandhi and the Congress Party have accused election officials of adding fraudulent names or allowing duplicate voter IDs, claims the government has rejected. At the same time, analysts and rights groups argue that the bigger issue is not just voter fraud, but who is removed from the rolls during special voter verification drives.

In states such as Bihar and West Bengal, recent roll revisions have deleted millions of names, prompting criticism that marginalised groups may be disproportionately affected. Al Jazeera frames India’s experience as a mixed example: voter ID can strengthen administration, but it does not by itself resolve deeper questions about election fairness and voter inclusion.