Politics · India · 10 hrs ago
India voter revision removes 13.37 crore names from draft rolls
India’s Election Commission is conducting a Special Intensive Revision, or SIR, of voter lists across the country.
At the draft stage, 13.37 crore names were removed across 30 States and Union Territories.
The revision asks voters to trace themselves or a parent to an older voter list, or provide documents to show they are eligible.
The Hindu editorial says this approach puts the burden on voters and risks removing eligible people, including those who could not return or complete forms.
In Delhi, 24 of 70 constituencies have fewer people on the draft list than voted in the February 2025 Assembly election.
The Commission has ordered a special drive to enrol people whose names were left out, while final rolls for Phase 3 have yet to be published.
India’s Special Intensive Revision removed 13.37 crore names from draft electoral rolls across 30 States and Union Territories.
The deletions occurred in three phases, with rates rising from 8.3% in Bihar to 12.9% in Phase 2 and 17% in Phase 3.
The Hindu editorial argues that the exercise’s methods led to the removal of genuine voters.
In Delhi, the draft roll lists 97.54 lakh electors, only slightly more than the 94.95 lakh who voted in the February 2025 Assembly election.
The Election Commission of India has directed officials to run a special drive to enrol people whose names were left out.
- Who
- The Election Commission of India conducted the revision, which affected voters across 30 States and Union Territories.
- What
- The draft rolls removed 13.37 crore names in three phases.
- When
- The article was published on October 12, 2026. The revision’s dates are not stated.
- Where
- Across 30 States and Union Territories in India.
- Why
- The ECI described the exercise as a way to “purify” electoral rolls. The Hindu editorial says its methods resulted in genuine voters being deleted.
This story does not have two clearly opposing sides.
purify
special drive
whose name has got left out
The revision removed 65 lakh names in Bihar, a deletion rate of 8.3%.
The revision removed 6.57 crore names in 12 States and Union Territories, a deletion rate of 12.9%.
The revision removed 6.15 crore names, a deletion rate of 17%; final rolls had yet to be published.
The ECI directed officials to run a special drive to enrol people whose names had been left out.
- Total deletions
- 13.37 crore names across three phases
- Geographic scope
- 30 States and Union Territories
- Bihar
- 65 lakh names removed; 8.3% deletion rate
- Phase 2
- 6.57 crore names removed; 12.9% deletion rate
- Phase 3
- 6.15 crore names removed; 17% deletion rate
- Delhi draft roll
- 97.54 lakh electors; 24 of 70 constituencies had fewer electors than the number who voted in the February 2025 Assembly election
Sources
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