SIR Drive Removes Over 73 Lakh Voters in Gujarat
Large-scale deletions in electoral rolls spark concern as draft lists released across states
- 73.7 lakh voters removed from Gujarat’s electoral rolls during SIR
- Tamil Nadu draft rolls see deletion of over 97 lakh electors
- EC says exercise aims to remove duplicates, deceased and non-residents
- Opposition flags fears of voter exclusion, EC rejects allegations
GG News Bureau
Ahmedabad, 19th Dec: The Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls has led to the exclusion of a large number of voters in Gujarat, triggering concerns over the scale of deletions during the enumeration exercise. According to official data, around 73.7 lakh voters have been removed from the state’s voter list.
Of Gujarat’s total electorate, 85.5 per cent submitted their Enumeration Forms (EFs). The remaining names were excluded during the revision process. Among those deleted, 51.86 lakh electors, or 10.20 per cent, were marked as “shifted” or “absent,” 18.07 lakh voters (3.55 per cent) were recorded as “deceased,” and 3.81 lakh electors (0.75 per cent) were found to be enrolled at multiple locations.
Draft electoral rolls released in Tamil Nadu also showed major deletions, with 97.28 lakh electors removed. Data shows that 5.43 crore voters submitted EFs, accounting for 84.81 per cent coverage. Of those excluded, 66.4 lakh electors (10.36 per cent) were categorised as “shifted” or “absent,” 26.9 lakh (4.20 per cent) as “deceased,” and 3.98 lakh (0.62 per cent) as duplicate entries.
Election officials have maintained that the exclusions are part of a routine cleansing exercise aimed at ensuring accuracy of electoral rolls by removing duplicate, deceased and non-resident voters. The Election Commission clarified that in cases of multiple enrolment, a voter’s name will be retained at only one location, in line with electoral rules.
The EC has also stressed that genuine electors who may have been left out can still get their names restored during the claims and objections period by submitting the required documents. The deadline for this process has already been extended in seven states, including Uttar Pradesh and Kerala.
Political parties, however, are closely watching the process, warning that large-scale deletions could affect voter participation if eligible electors fail to re-enrol in time. On the pan-India SIR, opposition parties have alleged that the exercise is being misused to influence election outcomes, an accusation similar to those raised earlier in Bihar.
The Election Commission has strongly rejected the charge, stating that periodic revision of voter lists is a constitutional responsibility. The BJP has also dismissed the allegations, pointing to elections where it has lost power as evidence against claims of manipulation. The Supreme Court has previously upheld the EC’s authority to carry out such revisions.
Earlier this week, the first SIR draft list for West Bengal was also released, showing the deletion of around 58 lakh names.
