Nagaland electoral roll revision sparks allegations of voter disenfranchisement

The Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls in Nagaland has become a point of intense political contention. All India Congress Committee (AICC) Observer Banna Gupta and the Dimapur District Congress Committee (DDCC) have alleged that the process is being used to manipulate electoral rolls and disenfranchise genuine voters.

Gupta claimed that the BJP-led central government is using the revision exercise for political purposes, alleging that large-scale deletions of legitimate voters are occurring. The DDCC further argued that long-term residents in Dimapur and Chümoukedima, some settled for over two decades, are being told they must register in their native villages rather than where they currently reside.

In response to these allegations, the Congress party has announced a major demonstration at the Red Fort in New Delhi on November 1.

Separately, election officials have framed the SIR as a necessary measure to ensure democratic integrity. The Election Commission of India ordered the revision to remove duplicate, deceased, or ineligible entries. In Nagaland, officials reported that approximately 0.37% of electors were enrolled at multiple locations, and the exercise aims to retain such names at only one polling station to uphold the principle of “one person, one vote.”