Odisha CEO orders strict voter roll verification after claims of wrongful deletion of 9.8 lakh names

Amid allegations that around 9.8 lakh voter names were wrongfully deleted during electoral mapping ahead of Odisha’s Special Intensive Revision (SIR), the state’s Chief Electoral Officer (CEO) has ordered strict verification before the final electoral roll is prepared.

Officials in the CEO’s office said a large number of complaints were received over alleged wrongful deletions. These include cases where voters were still residing at their addresses and instances where Booth Level Officers (BLOs) reportedly failed to conduct field visits or proper verification before recommending deletions. The elector mapping exercise was conducted between January and March.

Following concerns raised by voters, nearly two lakh Form-7 applications — used for objections relating to inclusion or deletion of names in the electoral roll — have been received since April and have now been kept on hold.

Electoral Registration Officers (EROs) have been directed to certify that at least 50% of objection cases have been physically verified and that all required procedures were followed before any names are removed from the rolls.

Voter names are generally deleted due to death, migration, duplicate entries, doubtful matches, or related reasons.

Odisha CEO RS Gopalan said the pending Form-7 applications require detailed scrutiny.

“Usually, around 7–9 lakh names are deleted from the electoral roll every year for various reasons. This year’s number is slightly higher because of the door-to-door mapping carried out by BLOs ahead of the SIR exercise,” Gopalan was quoted as saying by Indian Express.

He clarified that BLOs only identify cases involving deceased voters, shifted residents, or duplicate entries, but cannot delete names directly.

“They must obtain signatures on Form-7 from family members or neighbors if the family is unavailable. Since nearly two lakh Form-7 applications have been received, EROs have been instructed to thoroughly verify every case,” he added.

In a letter to all EROs, the Additional CEO said names of deceased electors can only be removed after due verification and compliance with laid-down procedures.

“Before deletion, notice must be served at the elector’s last known address,” the letter stated.

Similarly, in suspected duplicate or doubtful match cases, officials have been instructed to issue notices to concerned voters and complete due process before taking action. EROs have also been asked to personally contact applicants who filed objections.

The CEO’s office further directed that complaints received through email, the 1950 Call Centre, NGRS, or any other mode must be mandatorily investigated. In cases where names were wrongly deleted, electors must be re-enrolled immediately after proper verification.

The Special Intensive Revision in Odisha was originally scheduled to begin in April but was deferred due to ongoing elections in five states. Officials said the exercise is now expected to begin in May.