Voter lists shrink by more than 15% since 2024 in States where SIR phase-3 draft lists are out
Draft electoral rolls published under the Election Commission's Special Intensive Revision (SIR), phase 3, show a decline of more than 15% in elector numbers compared with 2024 in the States/UTs where draft lists have been released so far.
Maharashtra recorded the largest drop in absolute terms, losing 15,896,198 electors, a fall of 17.08%.
Delhi and Chandigarh registered the sharpest percentage declines, at 35.89% and 31.84% respectively.
Electors excluded from the draft rolls can file claims and objections before the final rolls are published; the process allows verification of deletions attributed to death, migration, duplication, or ineligibility.
Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of Electoral Rolls
SIR is a comprehensive, house-to-house revision of electoral rolls undertaken by the Election Commission of India (ECI) to remove duplicate, deceased, or otherwise ineligible entries and to add newly eligible voters. It is distinct from the routine "summary revision" conducted annually, being a more intensive door-to-door verification exercise typically ordered when large-scale discrepancies (migration, duplication, demographic shifts) are suspected.
The large drops in elector counts reported across States are draft-stage figures from the ongoing SIR exercise; under the statutory process, affected electors get an opportunity to file claims and objections before the rolls are finalised, so draft numbers are not final electoral strength.
Article 324 and the Election Commission's Constitutional Mandate
Article 324 is the constitutional foundation for India's election machinery. It vests in the Election Commission the power of superintendence, direction, and control over the preparation of electoral rolls and the conduct of elections to Parliament, State Legislatures, and the offices of President and Vice-President.
Key Details
- The Commission consists of the Chief Election Commissioner and such other Election Commissioners as the President may from time to time fix.
- Appointments are made by the President, subject to any law made by Parliament in this regard.
- Article 324 gives the ECI residuary/plenary powers to act where existing law is silent, a doctrine invoked to justify measures like SIR.
The scale and pace of the SIR exercise, and the ECI's discretion in ordering it, are traceable to the wide constitutional mandate under Article 324, read with the statutory revision powers in the Representation of the People Act, 1950.
- Maharashtra: loss of 15,896,198 electors, a 17.08% decline in the phase-3 draft roll.
- Delhi: sharpest percentage decline among States/UTs with draft lists out, at 35.89%.
- Chandigarh: second-sharpest percentage decline, at 31.84%.
- Legal basis for SIR: Section 21(3), Representation of the People Act, 1950; constitutional basis: Article 324.