Over 2cr voter forms uncollected in Maharashtra during revision
What's the story
In Maharashtra, over two crore voter enumeration forms have gone uncollected during the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) exercise. The figure accounts for more than one-fifth of the state's nearly 9.8 crore registered voters. The SIR exercise, conducted by the Election Commission of India with Booth Level Officers (BLOs), aims to update electoral rolls and verify entries such as those who have moved, died, or are duplicates.
Urban impact
Major urban areas affected
The largest concentration of the uncollected forms is from Maharashtra's major urban areas, including Thane, Mumbai City, Mumbai Suburban and Pune.
These regions account for 94.47 lakh cases or nearly half of all uncollected forms in the state.
The high numbers are alarming as these districts are among the most populous and mobile in Maharashtra, making voter verification a complex task due to migration and residential changes.
Nagpur figures
Nagpur district also shows high numbers
The problem isn't restricted to the Mumbai Metropolitan Region. In Nagpur district alone, around 13.36 lakh voters were classified as uncollectable.
The wider Nagpur division saw a total of about 34.96 lakh voters in this category.
However, being "uncollectable" doesn't mean these voters have been removed from the electoral rolls.
Election authorities must follow a verification process, and eligible voters can file claims if they are wrongly excluded or need corrections on their draft roll entries.
Upcoming steps
Draft electoral roll to be published on August 24
The draft electoral roll is set to be published on August 24, with a subsequent period for claims and objections.
This allows voters to verify their details and approach election officials if they believe they have been wrongfully excluded or need corrections.
The final electoral roll will be published on October 27, making it crucial to ensure eligible voters aren't inadvertently left out during this process.
Political response
Rohit Pawar raises concerns over exclusion of voters
NCP-SP MLA Rohit Pawar has raised concerns over the exclusion of these voters from the electoral rolls.
He alleged that around 34 lakh voters were marked as deceased and 76 lakh households couldn't be contacted.
Pawar also claimed booth-level officers were under pressure to complete verification, alleging "table surveys" in some areas with information allegedly provided by Bharatiya Janata Party workers.