In a significant development for election preparedness in Uttar Pradesh, the Azgara assembly area in Varanasi district has emerged as the frontrunner, becoming the first constituency to achieve a 100% completion rate in the crucial Special Intensive Revision (SIR) exercise. This milestone was reached on Sunday, setting a benchmark for other areas in the parliamentary constituency of Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
Rural Areas Near Completion, Urban Segments Lagging
While Azgara celebrated its full achievement, other rural assembly segments in the district were also on the brink of finishing their tasks. The work in Pindra, Shivpur, and Sevapuri was on the verge of completion, with impressive progress reported. District Election Officer (DEO) Satyendra Kumar provided a detailed breakdown, stating that by Sunday noon, Pindra and Shivpur had completed 99% of their SIR work, while Sevapuri had reached 97%.
However, a clear urban-rural divide was evident in the progress metrics. Compared to the near-complete status in rural belts, the completion rate in assembly constituencies covering urban areas remained below the 93% mark. This has prompted election officials to focus their final efforts on these zones.
Final Push for Urban Constituencies
Expressing confidence in meeting the overall deadline, DEO Satyendra Kumar stated that the remaining SIR exercise in the urban segments of Varanasi North, Varanasi South, Varanasi Cantt, and Rohaniya would be wrapped up by Tuesday. He revealed that, district-wide, 95% of the work was finished by Sunday noon, with the remaining 5% slated for completion in the next two days.
The officer provided specific figures for the urban areas: Rohaniya had completed 92% of the work, Varanasi North stood at 91%, Varanasi Cantt at 93%, and Varanasi South had touched the 90% mark. The administration maintained a steady pace throughout the exercise, revising almost 5% of the entire voter list target daily.
Deletions and Final Voter Count
A critical aspect of the SIR is the purification of electoral rolls by removing ineligible names. The DEO estimated that the percentage of names slated for deletion—including those of deceased individuals, voters who have shifted, absentee voters, and those enrolled in other districts—would be around 16% to 17% of the list. This cleanup is essential for ensuring a fair and accurate electoral process.
The scale of the exercise is vast. In the 2024 Lok Sabha elections, Varanasi district had approximately 31 lakh voters. The assembly-wise voter strength highlights the task's magnitude: over 3.1 lakh voters in Varanasi South and Azgara (R), 3.74 lakh in Pindra, 3.41 lakh in Shivpur, 3.56 lakh in Sevapuri, 4.04 lakh in Varanasi North, and a substantial 4.66 lakh in Varanasi Cantt.
With the Tuesday deadline looming, the district election machinery is in its final phase, aiming to deliver a clean and comprehensive voter list for one of the country's most politically significant regions.
