In a major drive to clean up the electoral rolls, Gujarat's election authorities have identified a significant number of ineligible voters, including those who are deceased or have moved away permanently. The ongoing Special Intensive Revision (SIR) campaign has revealed crucial data about the state's voter database.
Key Findings from the Voter List Enumeration
The office of the Chief Electoral Officer (CEO) for Gujarat released a statement on Monday, detailing the progress of the SIR campaign. The most striking findings involve the scale of outdated entries. Officials have identified 15.58 lakh voters in the state's rolls who are now deceased. This massive figure highlights the critical need for regular updates to maintain the integrity of the electoral process.
Beyond this, the campaign found that over 21.86 lakh voters have permanently relocated from their registered addresses in Gujarat. Additionally, more than 4 lakh voters were absent when officials visited, and a further 2.68 lakh entries were flagged as duplicates. The enumeration phase, which involves physical verification and form distribution, is scheduled to continue until December 11.
Progress in Digitization and Form Distribution
The campaign is making significant strides in digitizing voter data. As of now, two assembly constituencies—Limkheda in Dahod district and Dhanera in Banaskantha district—have achieved 100% digitization of their Enumeration Forms (EFs). Most of Gujarat's 33 districts have reportedly achieved full distribution of the forms, with the remaining districts close to reaching this target.
A competitive landscape has emerged regarding the digitization of these collected forms. The top ten districts leading in this crucial digital conversion are:
- Dang - 93.14%
- Gir Somnath - 88.91%
- Banaskantha - 88.42%
- Sabarkantha - 88.32%
- Morbi - 88.00%
- Mahisagar - 87.98%
- Chhota Udaipur - 87.61%
- Panchmahal - 87.02%
- Patan - 86.56%
- Surendranagar - 86.44%
Implications for Electoral Integrity
The findings from the SIR campaign underscore a persistent challenge in Indian democracy: maintaining accurate and current voter lists. The presence of lakhs of deceased or relocated voters can potentially impact the fairness and efficiency of elections. This cleanup drive, initiated from the CEO's office in Gandhinagar, is a proactive step to ensure that the electoral rolls reflect the genuine, eligible voter population.
The removal of duplicate entries and the confirmation of absent voters further tighten the system. As the December 11 deadline for enumeration approaches, the focus will shift to finalizing the digitization process and preparing a revised, more accurate voter list for Gujarat. This exercise is fundamental to upholding the principle of 'one person, one vote' and strengthening the democratic framework of the state.
