In a significant development for the electoral landscape of Prayagraj, more than 11.59 lakh voters are poised to be excluded from the official list. This follows the conclusion of a Special Intensive Revision (SIR) campaign, which failed to locate any verifiable records for these individuals despite rigorous efforts by the district election authorities.
Massive Scale of Voter Discrepancy Uncovered
Data made public by the election office on Friday presents a stark picture. Out of the total processed, only 35,33,497 voters have been retained on the rolls. A staggering 11,59,414 individuals have been classified under the Absent, Shifted, or Deceased (ASD) category. Within this group, the administration has pinpointed a particularly concerning subset: 3,13,833 voters, constituting nearly 7% of the electorate, for whom no traceable record exists since the 2003 electoral roll.
The next step involves issuing formal notices to these voters. They will be asked to present valid documentation to prove their identity and residence. Acceptable documents include Aadhaar card, passport, PAN card, driving licence, photo-enabled bank passbook, high school mark sheet, or official identity cards issued by central or state governments.
Campaign Extended but Public Response Remained Low
The SIR campaign was initiated on November 4 on the directives of the Election Commission of India. Its core mission was to compile an accurate and error-free voter list by verifying the records of those enrolled in the 2003 rolls and subsequent additions over the past 22 years.
To maximize participation, the deadline for the exercise was pushed back several times—first to December 4, then to December 12, and finally to December 26. Despite these extensions, public engagement was disappointingly low. On the final day of the campaign, a special drive across all 4,713 polling booths in the district, overseen by District Magistrate Manish Kumar Verma, saw a meager turnout. Only 873 voters district-wide submitted forms for corrections or verification, with most Booth Level Officers (BLOs) reporting negligible or no footfall.
Implications and Final Steps
With the Election Commission not granting any further extension, the window for adding new names has effectively closed. The administration now focuses on preparations for the final publication of the electoral rolls.
The DM stated that extensive measures were undertaken during the SIR campaign. These included distributing forms across all assembly segments, digitizing data, verifying ASD voters, and making public announcements in rural areas.
A notable outcome of this rigorous review is the net change in the voter base. After the exclusion of over 11.60 lakh voters, the district has seen a net increase of only 1,94,804 voters over the last 22 years. This minimal growth raises important questions about demographic shifts, migration patterns, and the accuracy of previous electoral records in the Prayagraj region.
