"Generations Have Voted": Many Find Names Missing After SIR In Madhya Pradesh

The draft list for the Special Intensive Revision of voter rolls in Madhya Pradesh has been released, triggering widespread concern after approximately 42.74 lakh names were found missing. 

Following the release, the Election Commission has begun issuing notices to affected voters and has opened the window for claims and objections. Over the next month, the process of additions and deletions will continue, during which voters must submit documents to establish their eligibility and residency.

Among those affected is Rais Khan, whose family has lived in the Itwara area of Bhopal for over a century. He says generations of his family have voted from the same address, and his name was included as recently as the 2003 electoral roll. This time, however, while the names of his wife and children appear on the draft list, his own has been removed. He maintains that his family continues to live in their ancestral house and that records exist to prove his long-standing residency and voting history.

A similar situation was reported by Zafar Beg, a lifelong resident of Bhopal. While his family members remain on the voter list, his name is missing. He says he was unable to vote in the last election and never received a voter slip or notice. Despite possessing decades-old documents, including a 1973 driving license and Aadhaar records, he has been unable to restore his name and says the situation has left him anxious about his right to vote.

In Bhopal's Ward Number 23 alone, around 5,000 names have reportedly been deleted. Residents have been lining up to file objections and submit correction forms. Shadab Ali, who came to restore his wife's name, noted that while every other household member remains on the list, his wife's name-present in 2003-is missing from the 2025 draft.

Local representatives say the problem is widespread and inconsistent. Rafiq Qureshi, the councillor for Ward 23, said many voters on earlier rolls did not receive notices when the revision began. He pointed out that in several families, some members appear on the list while others do not, despite sharing the same address. He noted that while Booth Level Officers (BLOs) are assisting residents, the volume of errors is unusually high.

Statewide figures show that of the 42.74 lakh names removed, around 8.40 lakh involve cases where voter mapping has not been completed. Of the deleted names, roughly 19.19 lakh are men and 23.64 lakh are women. Before the revision, Madhya Pradesh had 5.74 crore registered voters; the current draft has reduced that number to 5.31 crore. This means roughly every thirteenth voter in the state has had their name removed for now.

The Election Commission has stated that voters can approach BLOs with documents until January 22 to seek inclusion or correction. Notices will also be issued to unmapped voters. Sanjeev Jha, Chief Electoral Officer, said, "Any eligible person can apply to add their name using Form 6. Objections can be filed until January, and notices will be issued to all unmapped voters."

The revision process began on November 4, with the deadline extended multiple times until December 18. Despite this, lakhs of voters say they were unaware of the deletions until the draft list was published. The Congress has accused the Election Commission of working in favour of the ruling party by deleting a large number of voters, an allegation the government has rejected as baseless.

Senior Congress leader Sajjan Verma said, "When the revision was conducted during our tenure, there was no such chaos. We allege that the Election Commission, in collusion with the BJP, has deleted lakhs of voters." Cabinet Minister Vishwas Sarang dismissed the claims, stating, "The Congress has a habit of complaining. This was a necessary exercise, and it is not right to make allegations against the Election Commission."

Notably, deletions have also occurred in high-profile constituencies. Around 37,728 names were removed from Chief Minister Mohan Yadav's Ujjain South constituency, 32,404 from Deputy Chief Minister Rajendra Shukla's Rewa constituency, 14,712 from Leader of the Opposition Umang Singhar's Gandhwani constituency, and 21,981 from former Chief Minister Kamal Nath's Chhindwara constituency.

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)