Nearly 2.29 crore voters will not be able to exercise their right to vote in five States due for Assembly elections early next year. Uttar Pradesh, which has the biggest electorate among States, alone accounted for nearly 90 per cent of the total drop after the SIR was completed. The exercise was undertaken in UP, Uttarakhand, Goa, Punjab and Manipur. The poll body has already conducted review meetings in Manipur, Uttarakhand and Punjab.
According to data made public by the Election Commission of India and State chief electoral officers in recent years, across these five States, the electorate shrank from about 18.71 crore to 16.43 crore after SIR — a net reduction of around 2.29 crore, or about 12.2 per cent.
Uttar Pradesh, which has the biggest electorate among States, alone accounted for nearly 90 per cent of the total drop. In UP, which went for SIR in phase II, the electorate fell from 15.44 crore pre-SIR to 12.56 crore in the draft roll, then to 13.40 crore in the final rolls. The net loss stood at around 2.04 crore or 13.24 per cent, the steepest among the five States. The draft removed about 2.89 crore names, and about 0.84 crore (roughly 29 per cent) were restored.
At the BJP State executive committee meeting on Friday, Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath said the names of 1.27 crore Hindus were missing from the electoral rolls and stressed the need to ensure all eligible voters were included.
In Punjab, where SIR was held in phase III, the number of electors went from 2.15 crore to 1.94 crore in the draft, then to 2.01 crore in the final rolls. The net loss in the number of voters was about 0.14 crore or 6.34 per cent.
It had the strongest recovery. About 0.07 crore of the roughly 0.21 crore draft deletions (about 34 per cent) came back to the rolls.
In Uttarakhand, where poll roll revision was held in phase III, electors went from 0.80 crore to 0.71 crore, ending at 0.72 crore. The net loss in the voter base was about 0.08 crore, or 10.07 per cent. Only about 0.0025 crore returned, around three per cent of draft deletions.
SIR was held in phase III in Manipur, where electors fell from 0.209 crore to 0.193 crore, then rose to 0.196 crore. The net loss of voters was about 0.013 crore or 6.33 per cent, similar to Punjab. About 17 per cent of draft deletions were restored, the data shows.
In Goa, where SIR was held in phase II, the electors went from 0.1185 crore to 0.1085 crore, then fell further to 0.1058 crore. In Goa, the net loss was nearly 0.013 crore or 10.76 per cent. Goa is the only one of the five where the final roll is smaller than the draft, so there was no net restoration.
While ordering special summary revision in 17 States recently, the EC had noted that Assembly polls in the five States could be held “early next year”. The ongoing special summary revision ahead of polls will ensure that left-out voters get a fresh chance to get included in the electoral rolls.
The young voters who turn 18 on or before January 1 will get an opportunity to be included as voters and can cast their vote in these five States. While the term of the 403-member UP assembly ends on May 22 next year, the terms of the 60-member Manipur, 40-member Goa, 117-member Punjab and 70-member Uttarakhand assemblies end on different dates in March 2027.
The Representation of the People Act, 1950, allows the EC to hold polls “earlier than six months before the term expires”.
SIR DATA
1. Uttar Pradesh: 2.04 crore or 13.24%
2. Punjab: 0.14 crore or 6.34%
3. Uttarakhand: 0.08 crore or 10.07%
4. Manipur: 0.013 crore or 6.33%
5. Goa: 0.013 crore or 10.76%