1.02 crore voters dropped as SIR draft rolls shrink electorate by 7.6% across five states,UTs

The publication of draft electoral rolls following the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) has led to the removal of more than 1.02 crore voter names, shrinking the electorate across five states and Union Territories by 7.6%, according to data released on December 16.

Figures issued by the Chief Electoral Officers (CEOs) of West Bengal, Rajasthan, Goa, Lakshadweep and Puducherry show that the number of registered electors fell from 13.35 crore on October 27, when the Election Commission announced the SIR, to 12.33 crore in the draft rolls.

The draft rolls include only those voters who submitted enumeration forms during the door-to-door verification process that began on November 4. The remaining electors were categorised as “shifted or absent”, “deceased”, or “enrolled at multiple places”, officials said. The scale of deletions broadly mirrors the Bihar SIR exercise in August, which saw around 8% of names removed at the draft stage.

Rajasthan records largest deletions

Rajasthan accounts for the single largest share of deletions, with around 42 lakh names removed, state CEO Naveen Mahajan said. This represents 7.66% of the state’s electorate. The deletions include 8.75 lakh deceased voters (1.6%), 29.6 lakh listed as permanently shifted or absent (5.43%), and 3.44 lakh duplicate entries (0.63%).

Officials said many of those marked as shifted or absent could not be traced by Booth Level Officers (BLOs), had migrated to other states or Union Territories, failed to submit forms by the December 11 deadline, or chose not to register.

The data for the Anta Assembly constituency has been excluded due to last month’s by-election. District-wise, Jaipur alone saw over 5.3 lakh deletions, while more than one lakh names were removed in Ajmer, Kota, Alwar, Sikar and Pali.

Mahajan emphasised that booth-level lists of deleted electors have been shared with Booth Level Agents of political parties for verification, underscoring that the draft rolls are not final. Voters can seek inclusion or correction during the claims and objections window from December 17, 2025, to January 15, 2026, with the final rolls scheduled for publication on February 14.

Goa, Puducherry see sizable cuts

In Goa, over one lakh names were dropped from the draft rolls. CEO Sanjay Goel said that of the 11.85 lakh electors, 91.56% submitted enumeration forms. Of the 1,00,042 deleted names, 25,574 were deceased, 29,729 untraceable or absent, 40,469 permanently shifted, and 1,997 listed as duplicate voters. North Goa accounted for 44,639 deletions, while 55,403 names were removed in South Goa.

In Puducherry, more than 1.03 lakh names were removed. Of the 10.21 lakh forms distributed, 1,03,467 were uncollectable, the CEO said, citing death, migration, duplication or non-submission. The draft rolls now list 9.18 lakh electors.

Officials identified 20,798 deceased voters, 80,645 shifted or absent, and 2,024 duplicate entries. The highest number of uncollectable forms was reported from Puducherry district, followed by Karaikal, with smaller numbers from Mahe and Yanam.

Election officials across states reiterated that the draft rolls reflect a work-in-progress, with scope for corrections before final publication — a reassurance likely to gain significance amid political scrutiny over the scale of deletions.