Millions erased from draft voter rolls in MP, Kerala, Chhattisgarh and ANI
Millions erased from draft voter rolls in MP, Kerala, Chhattisgarh and ANI
Draft rolls show about 95 lakh deletions across MP, Kerala, Chhattisgarh and ANI; final rolls due Feb 14, 2026; voters can seek re-inclusion.
The Election Commission’s latest Special Intensive Revision (SIR) has led to about 95 lakh deletions from draft voter rolls across four jurisdictions: Andaman and Nicobar Islands, Kerala, Chhattisgarh, and Madhya Pradesh. The draft lists were published on Tuesday, December 23, 2025, as part of ongoing SIR work. The scale underscores the Commission’s efforts to clean up voter records, though it also raises questions about the impact on individual voters and the integrity of rolls.
In Andaman and Nicobar Islands, 64,000 of the 3.10 lakh electors were removed from the draft rolls. In Kerala, names of 24.08 lakh voters were deleted from the state’s 2.78 crore voters. In Chhattisgarh, 27.34 lakh names were dropped out of 2.12 crore electors. In Madhya Pradesh, 42.74 lakh names were struck off from 5.74 crore electors after the first phase of the SIR. The deletions are generally attributed to factors such as deceased status, migration, and voters registered in more than one place.
Voters whose names have been deleted can apply for re-inclusion. The electoral officers will take a final decision on these applications, and the final rolls are expected to be issued on February 14, 2026. The draft rolls are available on the Chief Electoral Officer’s website of the respective State/UT, the Election Commission’s voter portal, and the ECINET application. Voters are urged to check their names promptly and use the Claims and Objections phase to raise any concerns or corrections as the process moves toward finalization.
While the pruning aims to improve accuracy, observers and local voters alike are watching closely to ensure that legitimate voters aren’t inadvertently disenfranchised. The EC notes that genuine voters can still be added back during the Claims and Objections phase, but the final decision rests with electoral officers after review. The coming weeks will determine how many voters regain eligibility and how the final rolls in these states shape future electoral preparations.
