Maharashtra SIR: 21.16% of electors expected to be deleted from electoral roll

Maharashtra is facing a significant deletion of electors from its electoral roll, with an estimated 20.70 million individuals, or 21.16% of the total electorate, potentially being removed. This figure includes 3.6 million electors in Mumbai alone. The removals stem from Booth Level Officers' (BLOs) inability to trace these voters during field visits as part of the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) process, which began on June 30.

The enumeration data, released by Maharashtra's Chief Electoral Officer, indicates that while 77.15 million electors completed the process, the remaining 20.70 million were categorized as absent, shifted, deceased, or duplicate. Thane district reported the lowest enumeration rate, with 38.41% of its electors untraceable. Officials attribute these low rates in urban areas like Thane and Mumbai to a high floating population and migration, making it difficult to locate voters.

“

Eligible electors whose names are deleted from the roll will have an opportunity to contest the deletion within one month of the draft publication.

However, rural areas generally recorded higher enumeration rates. Buldhana district led the state with an enumeration rate of 90.86%, followed by Ratnagiri, Gadchiroli, and Beed. The Election Commission of India had granted extensions for the enumeration process, with house-to-house verification continuing until August 17.

Following the draft electoral roll's publication on August 24, electors will have one month to submit suggestions and objections. Eligible voters whose names are deleted will also have an opportunity to contest the deletion within this period. The final electoral roll is slated for publication on October 27, after which the process will be complete for the state.

“

Thane was ahead of Mumbai in recording the lowest enumeration rate. First, the floating and migrant population is high in Thane. Since many families travel to Mumbai daily for work and return late, tracing them for enumeration was difficult.