Millions of Voters Excluded from Draft Electoral Rolls in Third Phase of Special Intensive Revision

More than six crore names have been removed from provisional electoral rolls during the third phase of the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) across 16 states and three Union Territories. In Maharashtra, approximately 2.06 to 2.08 crore voters, representing about 21.1% of the previous electorate, were not included in the draft roll published on August 31, 2026. Delhi saw the highest percentage of deletions at approximately 33%, with 47.5 to 47.7 lakh names removed. Other significant deletions occurred in Karnataka, where over one crore names were removed, and in Telangana, where over 73 lakh names were excluded.

Election authorities state that exclusions are due to voters being marked as absent, shifted, deceased, or duplicate, as well as those who refused to fill enumeration forms. In Pune district, which saw the highest deletions in Maharashtra at 28.66 lakh, the administration identified over 13 lakh cases for hearings to resolve discrepancies or lack of linkage with 2002 rolls. The process has also resulted in changes to polling stations, including the creation of 394 new stations in Maharashtra.

Political reactions to the deletions vary. Arvind Kejriwal of the Aam Aadmi Party alleged that the process is an attempt to reduce the country's population and described it as an anti poor policy. Conversely, BJP representatives defended the process as transparent, suggesting that the deletions primarily targeted supporters who were registered in multiple locations.

Voters whose names are missing can file claims and objections using Form 6, 7, or 8 between August 31 and September 30. The administration will process these requests until October 29, with the final electoral rolls scheduled for publication on November 4, 2026. The Supreme Court previously upheld the legality of the SIR but noted that the Election Commission cannot use the exercise to determine Indian citizenship.