Concerns raised regarding large-scale voter deletions and alleged biases in the electoral roll revision process, particularly in Uttar Pradesh and West Bengal, during January 2026.
The controversy surrounding electoral roll revisions in early 2026, particularly in Uttar Pradesh and West Bengal, continued to escalate, raising concerns about voter deletions and alleged bias. The Supreme Court's intervention and scrutiny of the Election Commission's (EC) Special Intensive Revision (SIR) exercise in West Bengal remained central to the debate. While the EC defended the SIR as crucial for purifying electoral rolls, opposition parties criticized it as burdensome and potentially manipulative, even linking it to deaths. Concerns spread to other states, with Rajasthan's Barmer district reporting suspicious applications for voter deletion. Adding to the concerns, Akhilesh Yadav accused the EC and BJP of manipulating voter rolls in Uttar Pradesh, specifically targeting backward communities, Dalits, and minorities.
Akhilesh Yadav accused the EC and BJP of manipulating voter rolls in Uttar Pradesh, alleging targeted deletion of voters from backward communities, Dalits, and minorities.
Rajasthan's Barmer district reported numerous suspicious applications for voter deletion, raising concerns about potential manipulation of electoral rolls.
Mamata Banerjee accused the EC of bias and linked SIR to deaths, Maharashtra's CEO addressed voter list concerns, and Assam's opposition alleged a voter exclusion plot during special revision.
As the EC celebrated National Voters' Day, it released a list of 'logical discrepancies' after a Supreme Court order, while Abhishek Banerjee urged Trinamool members to activate SIR war rooms, Rahul Gandhi accused the EC of vote theft, Amartya Sen warned against hasty revisions in Bengal, and concerns arose over voters missing SIR hearings in Bengal and the cumbersome nature of sanitization in Kerala.
Mamata Banerjee blamed the EC and Centre for deaths related to electoral roll revisions, while the TMC petitioned the EC regarding the revision process in Assam.
The Supreme Court stated the ECI's power for Special Intensive Revision is not unlimited, while the EC flagged 'logical discrepancies' in Bengal electoral rolls, and a large number of UP voters may receive hearing notices.
The EC defended the SIR as a legislative order aimed at purifying electoral rolls, while the Trinamool Congress criticized it as making voting burdensome, and a Supreme Court hearing on the SIR's constitutional validity sparked a debate on decolonization.
Reports surfaced of over 2 lakh electors in Bengal linked to six or more children, the Supreme Court voiced concerns over voter revision processes in Bengal, and the EC's SIR 2.0 initiative faced challenges.
Anand Sharma urged the Election Commission to restore public trust, while the Congress party alleged flaws in electoral roll revisions and sought an extension.
The Supreme Court ordered the EC to disclose deleted voter names in Kerala to ensure transparency.
Mamata Banerjee accused the BJP and EC of conspiring to delete voters in West Bengal, alleging even prominent citizens were targeted.
The Supreme Court addressed a plea challenging the law granting immunity to Election Commissioners.
Political parties in Uttar Pradesh began preparing to enroll voters after a large number of names were deleted from the draft rolls.
Draft Special Summary Revision (SIR) 2.0 indicated significant voter deletions across multiple states and UTs, while Mamata Banerjee alleged the EC was using a BJP-developed app for electoral roll revision, leading to the deletion of legitimate voters.
Exam Notes
Constitutional articles, acts & key terms
Practice Questions
115 MCQs, 38 Mains questions
