UP: Nearly 2.89cr names deleted from draft voter list
What's the story
The draft electoral roll in Uttar Pradesh is expected to have around 12.55 crore voters, after nearly 2.89 crore names were deleted during the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls. The exercise, which started on November 4 and ended on December 26, was aimed at cleaning up the voter list with a theme of "Shuddh Nirvachak Namavali - Majboot Loktantra" (Clean Electoral Roll - Strong Democracy).
Deletion details
Reasons for voter deletion and re-application process
Chief Electoral Officer (CEO) Navdeep Rinwa said the deletions were done for reasons like death, change of residence, or being enrolled elsewhere. Most deletions were from urban centers like Lucknow, Ghaziabad, Prayagraj, and Kanpur. The Election Commission will allow those whose names were deleted to contest this action by reapplying through Form 6 from January 1, as per PTI. This form can also be used by new voters to register.
Voter verification
Unmapped voters and objection process
Rinwa said over 1 crore voters are in the "unmapped" category and will be sent notices to provide self-attested documents. These documents include proofs of birth or residence, a family register, a passport, or a school certificate with a birthdate. Between January 1 and 31, objections can be filed against the inclusion of names in the draft electoral roll using Form 7. Valid objections may lead to removal from the list.
Political backlash
Political controversy over voter list revision
The deletion of names from the voter list has sparked political controversy in Uttar Pradesh. The opposition parties, including the Samajwadi Party and Congress, have raised concerns that the SIR exercise is biased toward the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP). However, the BJP has dismissed these allegations as "bogus" and an attempt to protect "ghuspaithiyas (intruders)."