Electoral Roll Revision Concerns - January 2026

Story Summary

In January 2026, concerns arose regarding the revision of electoral rolls in Uttar Pradesh and West Bengal, with Uttar Pradesh seeing significant voter deletions and West Bengal's Chief Minister alleging flaws in the SIR process. The Election Commission of India (ECI) attributed deletions to deaths, migration, and duplicate registrations. Allegations included the lack of acknowledgment for submitted documents and the deletion of voters without proper hearings, raising concerns about potential disenfranchisement. The ECI issued notices for verification in Bengal, while UP data suggested similar deletion rates in Muslim-majority areas. The controversies highlight the importance of transparent and accurate electoral roll revisions to ensure fair and inclusive elections. Further adding to the concerns, the Rajasthan Assembly witnessed an uproar over alleged voter roll irregularities, with the opposition Congress claiming misuse of Form-7 to delete eligible voters.

Key Facts

1. 1Lucknow recorded the highest voter deletion rate in Uttar Pradesh at 30%.
2. 218.7% of names were removed from UP's electoral rolls under the Special Intensive Revision (SIR).
3. 32.89 crore names were removed from the voter list in UP.
4. 4Mamata Banerjee alleged the deletion of 54 lakh voters in West Bengal.
5. 5Deletions in UP were attributed to deaths (46.23 lakh), permanent migration (2.17 crore), and multiple registrations (25.47 lakh).
6. 6The Chief Election Commissioner in January 2026 was Gyanesh Kumar.
7. 7The SIR process is designed to update and purify electoral rolls.