Gujarat electoral rolls may shrink 14.5% after SIR, urban hubs hit hard
Gujarat electoral rolls may shrink 14.5% after SIR, urban hubs hit hard
Post-SIR data shows Gujarat's voter list could drop to 43.4 million, with Surat, Ahmedabad and Vadodara most affected.
Gujarat's electoral rolls could shrink by about 14.5% after the Special Intensive Revision (SIR), dropping from 50.8 million voters to 43.4 million. The district-wise analysis shows urban districts bearing the brunt, with Surat, Ahmedabad and Vadodara among the areas with the highest potential deletions. The total removed includes 7,373,327 voters; of these, 1,807,278 are deceased, 969,662 were absent, 4,025,553 migrated outside the state, and 381,470 voters were registered in two places. Another 189,364 were removed for other reasons.
In some assembly constituencies, deletions are especially steep: Karanj 38.4%, Udhna 36.6%, Varachha 34.1%, Limbayat 33.7%, Choryasi 31.7%. On the flip side, the lowest shares are in Tharad 4.1%, Jasdan 5.0%, Tankara 5.3%, Dangs 5.5%, Dediapada 5.7%. In Ahmedabad district, 1,452,704 names could be struck off, and Vatva recorded 114,822 potential deletions.
The analysis underscores how the SIR aims to cleanse voter lists but may alter the electoral map and voter experience ahead of elections. Citizens could see changes to polling locations, registration statuses, or the need for revalidation, depending on how rolls are updated and verified. As Gujarat readies for upcoming polls, the EC framed this as part of a standard cleanup, yet communities worry about the impact on representation and access to voting.
