Kolkata: More than 1.04 crore voter names have been removed from draft electoral rolls across three states and five Union Territories as part of the Election Commission’s ongoing Special Intensive Revision (SIR), officials said. The large-scale deletions reflect an effort to update voter lists by removing entries classified as absent, shifted, dead, or duplicate.
According to official data, the electoral rolls initially contained 13.36 crore voters as of October 27. Following the revision exercise, the number has come down to 12.32 crore in the draft rolls, indicating that over one crore names have been excluded during the process.
Reasons for Deletions
Election Commission officials said that the majority of deletions fall under the ASD category — voters marked as absent, shifted, dead, or duplicate. A key reason cited for these exclusions is the non-collection of enumeration forms during the revision exercise. Booth-Level Officers (BLOs) reportedly attempted to contact listed voters, but in many cases were unable to establish contact, leading to provisional deletions in the draft rolls.
The Commission has maintained that the SIR is designed to improve the accuracy of electoral rolls by identifying ineligible or unverifiable entries, while still providing affected voters an opportunity to seek corrections.
State-Wise Impact
West Bengal has recorded the highest number of deletions among the affected regions. Nearly 58 lakh voter names were excluded from the state’s draft electoral rolls. Within the state, Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee’s Bhabanipur Assembly constituency reportedly saw the highest number of deletions, drawing particular attention to the scale of the exercise.
Rajasthan followed with approximately 44 lakh voter names removed from its draft rolls. Election officials said similar patterns of deletions were observed in smaller regions as well, including Goa, Puducherry, and Lakshadweep, though the absolute numbers there were comparatively lower.
Opportunity to Raise Objections
The Election Commission has clarified that the draft rolls are not final and that voters whose names have been deleted will have an opportunity to challenge the exclusions. Officials said affected individuals have roughly one week to submit claims or objections seeking restoration of their names in the electoral rolls.
During this period, voters can approach election authorities with relevant documents to establish eligibility and residence. The Commission has emphasised that no eligible voter should be left out due to procedural gaps and that the objection window is a critical part of the revision process.
Purpose of the SIR Exercise
The Special Intensive Revision is being carried out to ensure that electoral rolls are updated ahead of upcoming elections and reflect the current voter base accurately. Unlike routine revisions, the SIR involves door-to-door verification and closer scrutiny of entries to identify discrepancies.
Election officials have said that similar exercises in the past have helped reduce duplication and inaccuracies, though large-scale deletions often generate political and public scrutiny.
Next Steps
Once the objection and claims period concludes, election authorities will review submissions and make necessary corrections before publishing the final electoral rolls. The Commission has reiterated that the revision process is transparent and follows established procedures under election law.
As the SIR continues, officials said further updates will be shared, and voters have been urged to check their details in the draft rolls and act promptly if discrepancies are found.
