The Election Commission of India has once again postponed the publication of the draft electoral roll for Uttar Pradesh, marking the third such delay in the ongoing Special Intensive Revision (SIR) exercise. The draft list, originally scheduled for release on December 31, 2025, will now be made public on January 6, 2026.
Massive Deletion Figures Emerge
Provisional data indicates a staggering scale of potential voter deletions in India's most populous state. According to figures accessed by The Indian Express, the SIR process could lead to the removal of approximately 2.89 crore electors, which constitutes 18.70% of Uttar Pradesh's total electorate of 15.44 crore.
This places Uttar Pradesh at the top among the 12 states and Union Territories undergoing SIR, with Tamil Nadu (15%) and Gujarat (14.5%) following in second and third place for highest deletion percentages based on their already published draft rolls.
Urban Districts Bear the Brunt
An analysis reveals that the state's urban districts are experiencing disproportionately higher voter deletions compared to rural areas. The top ten districts with the maximum number of deletions include major urban centers.
Lucknow leads with an estimated 12 lakh votes (30% of its electors) marked for deletion. It is followed by Prayagraj (11.56 lakh, 24.64%), Kanpur Nagar (9 lakh, 25.5%), Agra (8.36 lakh, 23.25%), and Ghaziabad (8.18 lakh, 28.83%). Other districts on the list are Bareilly, Meerut, Gorakhpur, Sitapur, and Jaunpur.
Political parties attribute these high urban deletions to migratory patterns. Many individuals who moved to cities for education or jobs had registrations in multiple locations and are now opting to retain their voter status at a single, often rural, address. The category of "absent/untraceable" voters also contributes significantly to the numbers.
Revised Schedule and Political Response
With the new timeline, the claims and objections window will be open from January 6 to February 6, 2026. The disposal of these claims and decisions on enumeration forms will continue until February 27. The final electoral roll will be published on March 6, 2026.
This is the third extension granted by the Election Commission for Uttar Pradesh's SIR schedule. The process began on October 27 across 12 states/UTs. The first extension came on November 30, pushing the enumeration deadline to December 11. A second extension on December 11 gave six states, including UP, more time, with Uttar Pradesh receiving the longest extension of two weeks.
Interestingly, major political parties, including the opposition Samajwadi Party, have not raised alarms about the high deletion figures, suggesting the process is not seen as targeting specific voter blocs. SP leaders in Lucknow and Prayagraj confirmed that the deletions cut across caste, religion, and party lines.
Focus Shifts to New Voters
With a significant portion of the existing list potentially being trimmed, political attention is turning to new voter enrollment. A BJP leader estimated that nearly 50 lakh people in Uttar Pradesh will attain voting age before the 2027 state elections, presenting a major opportunity for all parties.
Both the BJP and SP have instructed their Booth Level Agents (BLAs) to identify "absent/untraceable" voters and help eligible citizens register afresh. Party workers plan to analyze the final draft roll meticulously to ensure no genuine voter is left out.
The SIR exercise aims to clean the electoral rolls by removing names of deceased individuals, those who have permanently shifted, and duplicate entries. The final list will form the basis for the next major electoral battle in the state.
