The demand for an independent investigation by senior officials into the deletion of the names of thousands of voters in Kanyakumari Lok Sabha constituency has gained momentum, since it could play a vital role in deciding the outcome of the closely-fought election in the constituency. Former IAS officer M.G. Devasahayam has written to Chief Electoral Officer Satyabrata Sahoo, wondering why the Election Commission was reluctant to order an independent high-level inquiry wherein the affected parties could participate and present their case, since the CEO himself had, on the basis of a preliminary inquiry, admitted to the deletion of the names of 10,000 voters within a period of a few months. “Deletion of 10,000 votes can easily decide the outcome. There is no point in just subjecting the local officials to an inquiry because they were involved in the deletion. The inquiry should be done by a senior official who could talk to those who were denied their voting right,” said Mr. Devasahayam.