Archive · 10 Sep 2026
Maharashtra SIR Roll Falls Below 2024 Votes Cast
Maharashtra is checking its voter lists through a process called SIR.
The check compares current names with an older voter list from 2002.
Many names were removed from the draft list because people were marked absent, shifted, dead, duplicated, or untraceable.
In three constituencies, the remaining number of voters is even smaller than the number of people who voted there in 2024.
Khadakwasla had the biggest gap, with 7,457 fewer draft voters than votes cast.
Eleven constituencies had more deletions than people who did not vote in 2024.
The Election Commission says people wrongly left out can use Form 6 to request inclusion.
Opposition leaders say the large deletions could unfairly prevent people from voting.
The final voter list may therefore be important for correcting mistakes.
Draft voter rolls contain fewer voters than votes cast in 2024 in Khadakwasla, Kalyan Rural and Bhiwandi East.
Khadakwasla recorded 3,26,720 votes in 2024 but has 3,19,263 draft voters after 2,77,851 deletions.
Kalyan Rural recorded 2,96,080 votes but has 2,95,503 draft voters after 2,52,247 deletions.
Bhiwandi East recorded 1,91,734 votes but has 1,91,446 draft voters after 1,84,692 deletions.
Maharashtra’s draft roll removed 2.06 crore voters, prompting opposition parties to question the SIR process.
- Who
- The Election Commission, Maharashtra voters, and opposition leaders including NCP (SP) spokesperson Anish Gawande and Congress spokesperson Atul Londhe.
- What
- A draft voter roll created during the Special Intensive Revision contains fewer voters than votes cast in 2024 in three Maharashtra Assembly constituencies.
- When
- The draft voter list was published on August 31; the comparison uses data from the 2024 Assembly elections.
- Where
- Maharashtra, particularly Khadakwasla, Kalyan Rural and Bhiwandi East.
- Why
- Names were removed during a voter-roll revision based on mapping with the 2002 roll and categories including absent, shifted, dead, duplicate and other reasons.
Opposition concerns
Election authorities’ response
Large-scale deletions
Opposition concerns
Opposition leaders described the deletions as possible selective disenfranchisement and questioned exclusions based largely on Booth Level Officers being unable to find voters.
Election authorities’ response
The Election Commission is conducting the SIR using mapping with the 2002 voter roll and has classified removals under reasons such as absent, shifted, dead, duplicate and other categories.
Restoring names
Opposition concerns
Opposition parties argue that the scale of exclusions raises serious questions about the process and could affect voters’ ability to participate.
Election authorities’ response
The State Chief Electoral Officer said people wrongly left out of the draft list can submit Form 6 within the prescribed time.
- Draft voters removed
- 2.06 crore voters were removed from Maharashtra’s draft roll.
- Statewide voter count
- The draft roll reduced the total from 9.78 crore to 7.71 crore voters.
- Khadakwasla
- 3,26,720 votes were cast in 2024; 3,19,263 voters remain on the draft roll; 2,77,851 were marked for deletion.
- Kalyan Rural
- 2,96,080 votes were cast in 2024; 2,95,503 voters remain on the draft roll; 2,52,247 were marked for deletion.
- Bhiwandi East
- 1,91,734 votes were cast in 2024; 1,91,446 voters remain on the draft roll; 1,84,692 were marked for deletion.
- Untraceable deletions
- Khadakwasla had 2,32,600 voters, Kalyan Rural 1,86,367, and Bhiwandi East 86,256 marked untraceable.
- Correction process
- The State Chief Electoral Officer said wrongly excluded voters should submit Form 6 in time.