Goa Electoral Roll Undergoes Major Revision with Over 1.39 Lakh Deletions
In a significant electoral roll revision exercise conducted by the Election Commission of India, Goa has witnessed the deletion of a staggering 1,39,634 names from its voter lists. Simultaneously, 12,166 new names have been added during the special intensive revision (SIR) process. The updated electoral roll, officially published on Saturday, now reflects a total of 10,57,566 electors, marking a substantial reduction from the previous count of 11,85,034 voters prior to the revision.
Breakdown of Deletions and Gender Distribution
The deletions primarily comprised two categories. The first category included 1,00,042 individuals classified as absent, shifted, dead, or duplicate (ASDD) voters. The second category involved 39,592 unmapped electors whose names, or those of their parents, could not be verified against the 2002 electoral rolls from the last SIR exercise.
Regarding the gender composition of the updated roll, 51.6% of electors are female, while 48.4% are male. A very small percentage, specifically 0.0009% (9 persons), are registered as third-gender voters, highlighting the ongoing efforts for inclusive electoral representation.
Constituency-Wise Analysis and Reasons for Deletions
Vasco constituency emerged as the area with the highest number of deletions, exceeding 11,000 names. It was closely followed by Cortalim and Dabolim, which recorded over 9,000 and 5,000 deletions, respectively. According to Goa's Chief Electoral Officer (CEO) Sanjay Goel, these high deletion rates are largely attributed to the presence of a large migrant and floating population in these regions.
Other constituencies that experienced significant deletions, each with approximately 4,000 names removed, include Taleigao, St Cruz, Porvorim, Mormugao, Margao, Fatorda, Mapusa, and Saligao. In contrast, Sanguem and Mandrem constituencies reported the fewest deletions, with numbers remaining in the three-digit range.
Explaining the rationale behind the deletions, CEO Sanjay Goel stated that the 1,00,042 ASDD voters were removed due to their status. For the unmapped voters, he clarified, "Their enumeration forms were received, but neither they nor their parents were mapped in the 2002 roll. They were issued notices and given an opportunity to show documents, but they could not produce any of the standard list of documents."
Final Roll Details and Appeal Process
The final electoral roll now includes 14,484 new voters in the 18-19 age group, 8,596 persons with disabilities (PwDs), and 10,338 elderly voters aged 85 and above. Goel emphasized that this is the definitive roll, meaning any elections notified hereafter will rely exclusively on this updated list.
For individuals dissatisfied with the final roll, an appeal process is available. Aggrieved parties can first appeal to the district magistrate or collector within 15 days. Subsequently, they have 30 days to approach the CEO for Goa. Additionally, people seeking to include their names can file Form 6 along with supporting documents and submit them to the relevant electoral officers for consideration.
