Delhi voter roll shake-up: 47.56L names deleted
New Delhi: Delhi’s electoral rolls have undergone a massive revision, with around 47.56 lakh names not figuring in the new draft voter list published following the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) exercise. The draft roll now contains approximately 97.5 lakh electors, compared with nearly 1.45 crore registered earlier.
The scale of the exercise has triggered political interest, with the BJP, Congress and Aam Aadmi Party expected to closely examine the revised rolls and their possible impact on future electoral contests in the Capital.
According to the Chief Electoral Officer’s office, the SIR was undertaken to make the electoral rolls more accurate, transparent and updated. The verification exercise sought to identify people who had died, shifted from their registered addresses or appeared more than once in the rolls. Election authorities have stressed that exclusion from the draft list does not automatically mean permanent deletion. Eligible voters whose names are missing can seek inclusion during the claims and objections period, which will remain open until September 30.
Those seeking inclusion, including first-time voters, can submit Form 6 along with the required declaration and supporting documents. Applications can be filed online through the Election Commission’s voter services portal or offline through the concerned Booth Level Officer (BLO).
Applicants will need to provide the required proof of age and residence. Election authorities have urged voters, political parties and Booth Level Agents to carefully check the draft rolls and report omissions or errors within the prescribed period.
After examining all claims and objections, authorities are scheduled to publish Delhi’s final electoral roll on November 4.
The final number of voters could therefore rise substantially depending on claims filed by eligible residents whose names are currently absent.
Aam Aadmi Party national convenor Arvind Kejriwal on Monday claimed the Election Commission of India will reduce the country’s population from 140 crore to 50 crore