India electoral roll revisions lead to millions of proposed voter deletions

Ongoing Special Intensive Revision (SIR) processes in several Indian regions are leading to significant proposed deletions from electoral rolls due to death, permanent shifting, or duplication.

In Andhra Pradesh, the Chief Electoral Officer has released a district-wise list proposing the deletion of 44.89 lakh electors from the draft rolls. Of the 4.16 crore total electors, 3.71 crore have submitted enumeration forms. Major deletions include Nellore, Tirupati, and Kurnool. Additionally, authorities have identified approximately 36 lakh electors with logical errors or discrepancies in their details.

In Delhi, approximately 49 lakh of the 1.45 crore registered voters—roughly 34 per cent—are expected to be categorized as absent, shifted, dead, or duplicates (ASDD). The house-to-house enumeration exercise is approaching its August 17 deadline, with 99.5 per cent of distributed forms processed so far.

In the Hyderabad district, nearly 41 per cent of the 43.76 lakh voters across 15 Assembly constituencies are expected to be missing from the draft electoral rolls. These electors fall into the ASDD category. In areas like Jubilee Hills, many shifted electors include individuals who prefer to vote in their hometowns to maintain access to local government schemes.