SIR in 3 states, 2 UTs: 1.4 crore electors excluded from draft electoral rolls

As many as 12.32 crore electors have found their names in the draft electoral rolls published on Tuesday in three states and two Union territories as part of the ongoing SIR (Special Intensive Revision), compared with 13.36 crore voters on the rolls as of 27 October, officials of the EC (Election Commission) said.

This translates as almost 1.4 crore deletions from the electoral rolls in three months.

The poll panel clarified that the draft rolls also include new voters who submitted Form 6 applications seeking inclusion during the revision exercise.

In West Bengal, which has emerged as the largest flashpoint politically, the number of electors has come down from 7.66 crore on 27 October to 7.08 crore in the draft rolls — a net difference of about 58 lakh voters. EC officials stressed that electors who did not submit enumeration forms have not been deleted outright.

“These voters have been placed in the ASD category — absent, shifted, dead or duplicate — and a final decision on their status will be taken by the respective electoral registration officers before publication of the final rolls in February next year,” an official said.

A similar pattern has been observed in other states and Union territories where draft rolls were published:

• Rajasthan: Of 5.48 crore electors, 5.04 crore feature in the draft rolls, while about 44 lakh voters have been placed in the ASD category.

• Goa: Of 11.85 lakh electors, 10.84 lakh are included in the draft list, with 1.01 lakh marked as ASD.

• Puducherry: The electorate has reduced from 10.21 lakh to 9.18 lakh, a difference of 1.03 lakh.

• Lakshadweep: Of 58,000 electors earlier, 56,384 figure in the draft rolls.

The Election Commission reiterated that inclusion in the ASD category does not amount to deletion and that affected voters will be given an opportunity to establish their eligibility during the claims and objections period.

The SIR exercise was announced on 27 October across 12 states and Union territories, but timelines have since been revised for several regions following requests from chief electoral officers.

Last week, the EC extended the enumeration period for Tamil Nadu, Gujarat, Madhya Pradesh, Chhattisgarh, Uttar Pradesh, and the Andaman and Nicobar Islands.

• In Tamil Nadu and Gujarat, enumeration will continue till 14 December, with draft rolls to be published on 19 December.

• In Madhya Pradesh, Chhattisgarh, and the Andaman and Nicobar Islands, enumeration has been extended till 18 December, with draft rolls due on 23 December.

• In Uttar Pradesh, enumeration will continue till 26 December, and draft rolls will be published on 31 December.

The schedule for Kerala was revised earlier, with enumeration ending on 18 December and draft rolls to be published on 23 December.

The EC has urged voters to verify their details in the draft rolls and file claims or objections within the stipulated period to ensure inclusion in the final electoral rolls.