42 Lakh Names To Be Dropped as First Phase Of SIR Ends In Madhya Pradesh

The first phase of the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) drive aimed at updating the voter list in Madhya Pradesh was completed at midnight on Thursday and the preliminary draft electoral roll will be published on Tuesday, officials said.

The Election Commission has identified nearly 42 lakh voter names for deletion from the draft list. These have been classified into four categories - around 8.4 lakh voters who have died, nearly 2.5 lakh voters with duplicate entries, about 8.4 lakh absent voters, and over 22.5 lakh voters who have shifted from their registered addresses. Names falling under these categories will not be included in the draft voter list.

In addition, the mapping of more than nine lakh voters could not be completed. While these voters submitted enumeration forms, they failed to provide complete or mandatory information. Notices will be issued to them, seeking clarification and responses within the stipulated time.

According to officials, the SIR period was extended twice by the Election Commission to ensure maximum participation and convenience for voters. As of October 27, 2025, Madhya Pradesh had a total of 5,74,06,143 registered voters. Enumeration forms were issued to all, of which 5,74,06,140 were digitised. Voters with incomplete details were identified, following which officials from district collectors to booth-level officers were deployed extensively for door-to-door verification.

During field verification, it emerged that a significant number of people listed as voters were either no longer alive or had moved away a long time ago. Joint Chief Electoral Officer Ram Pratap Singh Jadon said, "Nearly 8.4 lakh names in the electoral roll belong to people who are no longer alive. About 22.5 lakh voters have shifted, and around 2.5 lakh duplicate entries were also detected."

The Election Commission is now moving ahead with the process of deletion, correction, and verification. After the first draft electoral roll is released, if a voter's details do not match the 2003 base records or if discrepancies are found, the Electoral Registration Officer (ERO) will issue a formal notice.

Jadon said the emphasis remains on accuracy and fairness. "Our objective is to ensure that no genuine voter's name is deleted and that no ineligible name remains on the electoral rolls," he said.