Election Commission's Voter Roll Purification Drive Sees Massive Overhaul
The Election Commission of India has concluded Phase 2 of its Special Intensive Revision (SIR) with significant results, impacting the electoral landscape across 12 states and Union Territories. The initiative, which began on October 27, 2025, has led to a substantial purification of voter lists, ensuring greater accuracy and integrity in the democratic process.
Net Deletions and Additions: A Detailed Breakdown
During this phase, a total of over 2 crore voters were included in the rolls across the participating regions. This inclusion comprises first-time voters submitting Form 6 and existing electors who enrolled at new addresses using Form 8. Concurrently, the net deletions amounted to nearly 5.2 crore voters, which represents 10.2% of the combined electorate of approximately 51 crore at the start of the SIR.
The total deletions across the Phase 2 states and UTs added up to 7.2 crore. However, the inclusion of 2 crore new names balanced this out, resulting in the net figure. Data sourced from the Election Commission reveals that over 6.5 crore electors were identified and removed from the rolls due to various reasons, including being absent, shifted, deceased, doubly enrolled, or categorized under 'other' criteria.
Reasons for Deletions and State-Wise Analysis
The deletions were driven by multiple factors, with specific numbers highlighting the scale of the clean-up:
- 66.9 lakh deletions were attributed to deaths.
- 1.3 crore deletions resulted from enrolment at multiple places.
- 1.3 crore electors were found absent at their registered addresses.
- 3.1 crore voters had shifted permanently.
- 12.7 lakh names were placed in the 'others' category.
Additionally, 63.2 lakh names were deleted through Form 7, which involves objections to inclusion in the roll, and adjudication processes. Notably, in West Bengal, judicial officers oversaw the deletion of 27.2 lakh names through adjudication, with another 6 lakh removed based on objections.
Post-Clean-Up Voter Count and Purification Percentages
After the comprehensive roll clean-up, 45.8 crore voters remain on the lists across the 12 states and UTs. An Election Commission official emphasized the significance of this purification, stating, "The deletion of over 6.5 crore ASDD and other electors who were on the rolls but not voting has eliminated the risk of bogus voting, leading to a pure and accurate roll. This explains the all-time high turnouts in Assam and Puducherry on April 9."
The percentage of roll purification, calculated as net purification divided by total electors before SIR, varied significantly by state:
- Andaman & Nicobar Islands: 16.6%
- Uttar Pradesh: 13.2%
- Gujarat: 13.1%
- Chhattisgarh: 11.3%
- West Bengal: 10.9%
- Tamil Nadu: 10.6%
- Goa: 10.2%
- Puducherry: 7%
- Madhya Pradesh: 5.7%
- Rajasthan: 5.4%
- Kerala: 2.5%
- Lakshadweep: 0.3%
State-Wise Additions and Overall Impact
Of the 2 crore names added to the rolls, Uttar Pradesh led with 92.4 lakh new voters, followed by Tamil Nadu with 35 lakh, Kerala with 20.4 lakh, Rajasthan with 15.4 lakh, Madhya Pradesh with 12.9 lakh, and Gujarat with 12.1 lakh. This balance of deletions and additions underscores the Election Commission's commitment to maintaining an up-to-date and credible voter database, crucial for free and fair elections.
