The Election Commission of India's draft electoral roll for Uttar Pradesh, released on Tuesday, has led to the removal of a staggering 12.6 lakh electors from the voter lists of Ghaziabad and Noida. This massive cleanup is part of the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) exercise aimed at purging ineligible names ahead of future elections.
District-Wise Breakdown of Deletions
According to the data, Ghaziabad district saw 8.18 lakh voters deleted, the fourth-highest number among all districts in Uttar Pradesh. In neighbouring Gautam Buddha Nagar (Noida), the deletions amounted to 4.4 lakh voters. Across the state, the total number of electors removed crossed 2.8 crore.
The deletions were carried out on three primary grounds: death, permanent relocation to other areas, and individuals being untraceable. In Gautam Buddha Nagar, officials reported that over 37,000 people were dead, 1.4 lakh were untraceable, and 2.2 lakh had permanently relocated.
Officials Explain the Rationale and Next Steps
District officials clarified that the exercise is essential to cleanse the rolls of duplicate, ineligible, or outdated entries. They emphasized that genuine voters whose names were inadvertently removed still have an opportunity to get enrolled or correct details.
Gautam Buddha Nagar District Magistrate Medha Roopam told The Indian Express that valid voters will be given a chance to be included. "Anybody who was a valid voter will be given a chance to make the list and they can also reach their booths in the designated area. We have also asked the BLOs (booth level officers) to serve notice to those missing their name in the final list," she said.
Roopam noted that while deletions occurred across the district, certain areas like those near Sharda University and Kulesara in Greater Noida saw notable reductions. She attributed this to high student populations and migrant labourers, groups known for high mobility.
In Ghaziabad, the data revealed nearly 63,000 reported deaths, over 3 lakh untraceable individuals, and 3.5 lakh people who had permanently shifted out of the district. Ghaziabad District Magistrate Ravindra Kumar Mandar stated that the draft list was shared with political party representatives on Tuesday.
"People can now file objections in the roll… and now it is also time for the voters whose names were not found in the electoral list to fill Form 6 to get registered. Apart from Form 6, we also have Form 8 in case anyone wants to rectify a mistake in the list," Mandar explained.
Urban Dynamics and Constant Population Flux
Officials pointed out that both Ghaziabad and Gautam Buddha Nagar are among the most urbanised districts in Uttar Pradesh. They experience a constant inflow and outflow of residents, including students, professionals, and migrant workers. This dynamic population characteristic makes periodic intensive revisions of the electoral roll a critical administrative task to maintain its accuracy and integrity.
The release of the draft roll kicks off a period for claims and objections. Eligible citizens who have attained the age of 18 or those who were left out can now apply for inclusion using Form 6. Corrections to existing entries can be made using Form 8.
