The Election Commission of India (ECI) has unveiled a draft electoral roll for Gujarat that reveals a significant contraction in the state's voter base. Published on Friday, the data indicates a sharp reduction of 73.73 lakh voters, shrinking the electorate from 5.08 crore to 4.35 crore—a decline of 14.5% compared to the 2025 list.
Urban Exodus vs. Rural Stability: A Stark Divide
A clear urban-rural chasm is evident in the draft roll. Highly urbanized districts experienced the most severe voter depletion, while tribal and rural districts recorded the highest levels of voter enumeration and the smallest reductions.
Chief Electoral Officer Hareet Shukla provided a detailed breakdown of the 73,73,327 deletions. The primary reasons include: 40.33 lakh voters permanently shifted residence, 18.05 lakh voters were deceased, and 9.8 lakh voters were absent from their registered addresses. Additionally, 3.79 lakh duplicate voter cards were removed, and 1.95 lakh deletions were for other reasons.
Shukla attributed the high number of shifted voters to greater population mobility in cities. "Permanent shifting in rural areas is lesser, but there is a higher movement of voters in urban areas, which has been reflected in the draft electoral roll," he explained.
District-Wide Disparities in Voter Reduction
The contrast between districts is striking. The tribal-dominated Dang district registered the lowest deletion rate at just 5.5%. It was followed by Narmada (7.3%), Chhota Udepur (7.7%), Tapi (7.9%), and Gir Somnath (8%).
In stark opposition, Gujarat's major urban centers faced a steep decline. Surat district recorded the sharpest fall of 25.66%. The state's financial capital, Ahmedabad, saw a 23.21% drop, followed by Vadodara (18.74%), and Bharuch and Valsad (both 16.5%).
Gender and Assembly Constituency Analysis
The reduction was not uniform across demographics. The number of female voters fell by 37.91 lakh (15.28%), from 2.48 crore to 2.10 crore. Male voters decreased by 35.82 lakh (13.76%), from 2.60 crore to 2.25 crore. Notably, third-gender electors saw a 36% decline, dropping from 1,668 to 1,063.
This pattern is mirrored at the assembly constituency level. The top ten segments with the least deductions are predominantly tribal and SC-dominated. Tharad constituency saw a mere 4% drop.
Conversely, all ten constituencies with the highest omissions are from Ahmedabad and Surat. Six are from Surat: Karjan (38.44%), Udhna (36.6%), Varachha Road (34.11%), Limbayat (33.73%), Choryasi (31.72%), and Majura (30%). Four are from Ahmedabad: Bapunagar (30.7%), Amraiwadi (30%), Naranpura (29%), and Thakkarbapanagar (28.4%).
Choryasi assembly constituency in Surat witnessed the highest absolute drop, with 1.95 lakh voters deleted from a total of 6.13 lakh. Data reveals six constituencies lost over 1 lakh voters each, while 22 constituencies saw a reduction of less than 20,000.
Next Steps for Voters
The ECI has opened a window for corrections. Officials stated that objections and claims regarding the omission of voters can be submitted to the authorities until January 18, 2026. This allows eligible citizens missing from the draft roll to ensure their inclusion in the final electoral list.
