Around 22 Lakh voters omitted from draft rolls in four states during SIR

Draft electoral rolls released during Phase 3 of the Special Intensive Revision show around 22 lakh voters omitted across Odisha, Mizoram, Manipur and Sikkim. The Election Commission said excluded individuals can still seek inclusion before the final electoral rolls are published

New Delhi: Around 22 lakh voters have been left out of the draft electoral rolls in four states, where Phase 3 of the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of voter lists is underway. According to data made available in the public domain in the last few days by chief electoral officers of Mizoram, Odisha, Manipur and Sikkim, their combined voter base has shrunk by nearly 22 lakh.

The collective voter base that stood at 3.68 crore before the SIR exercise in these states has now shrunk to 3.46 crore. The maximum number of names — 20.11 lakh — were dropped in Odisha.

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However, people left out of the draft rolls still have a chance to be included in the final rolls to be published later this year. Mizoram, Odisha, Manipur and Sikkim are among the 16 states and three Union Territories where electoral roll revision is underway with a staggered schedule.

When SIR Phase 3 was rolled out on May 14, the combined voter base of the 16 states and three Union Territories had stood at 36.73 crore. As the Election Commission was preparing for the SIR exercise in Bihar, officials of the commission had claimed that its grassroots-level functionaries found several nationals from Bangladesh, Nepal and Myanmar in the state.

However, the poll authority did not eventually share figures or proof of such people who were ineligible to be included in the voters’ list in the state.

Opposition parties had dubbed the Election Commission’s claims as a ploy to carry out the SIR exercise to target electors not aligned with the BJP and its allies.