New Delhi [India], August 31 (ANI): The Delhi Chief Electoral Office has released the first draft of the electoral roll after carrying out a large-scale verification exercise across the city. The exercise has led to a major review of voter records, with officials identifying names that needed to be checked or removed from the rolls.
During the verification process, more than two lakh entries were found to be of voters who had died, while around 1.45 lakh duplicate entries were also detected. Officials also identified a large number of voters who had shifted from their registered addresses. The exercise was aimed at making the voter list more accurate and up to date.
The verification was carried out through a door-to-door exercise, during which election officials collected and digitised enumeration forms from voters. Entries where the required information could not be verified have not been included in the first draft and will be subject to further scrutiny.
However, the names missing from the draft roll are not necessarily permanently deleted. The Election Commission has opened a claims and objections period from August 31 to September 30. Voters who do not find their names in the draft can approach the authorities and submit the necessary documents to get their names included.
The final electoral roll is expected to be published on November 4. Election officials have urged people to check their names in the draft list and raise claims or objections within the given deadline. The revision is expected to help clean up the electoral database while ensuring that eligible voters are not left out.
According to a press release issued by the Delhi CEO, the enumeration phase was carried out from June 30 to August 17 with the objective of ensuring that "no eligible citizen is left out while no ineligible person is included in the Electoral Roll."
Out of the 1,45,10,299 electors enrolled at the start of the exercise, enumeration forms were collected from 97,53,577 electors, representing a 67.22 per cent collection rate during the house-to-house verification drive conducted by 13,033 Booth Level Officers (BLOs).
The election office stated that 47,56,722 enumeration forms could not be collected from electors identified under the Absent, Shifted, Dead, or Duplicate (ASDD) categories. This includes 43,32,775 electors categorised as permanently shifted, absent, or unverified; 2,82,412 deceased electors; and 1,41,535 duplicate entries enrolled at multiple locations.
The poll body noted that the names of electors found enrolled at multiple places will be retained at only one location, while genuine electors who missed submitting their forms can apply for inclusion using Form-6 along with the prescribed declaration form during the claims and objections period.
As per the draft electoral roll published on August 31, the total 97,53,577 electors comprise 49,88,993 male electors, 47,64,137 female electors, and 447 third-gender electors. The draft roll also accounts for 1,03,870 young voters in the 18-19 age group, 40,871 voters aged 85 and above, and 189 voters aged 100 and above.
Among the 70 Assembly constituencies, Matiala (AC-34) registered the largest electorate with 3,33,057 voters and 430 polling stations, while Delhi Cantt (AC-38) has the smallest electorate with 41,654 voters and 90 polling stations.
As part of the rationalisation process, the ceiling of electors per polling station was reduced from 1,500 to 1,200, resulting in the total number of polling stations increasing from 13,033 to 14,947 across 2,856 polling locations.
To assist in the process, recognised political parties appointed 33,226 Booth Level Agents (BLAs)--comprising 12,788 from the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), 10,772 from the Indian National Congress (INC), 9,462 from the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP), 128 from the Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP), and 76 from the Communist Party of India (Marxist).
The CEO emphasised that no name will be deleted from the draft electoral roll without due process, including issuance of notice, conducting an inquiry, and passing a speaking order by the Electoral Registration Officer (ERO) or Assistant Electoral Registration Officer (AERO). Aggrieved individuals can appeal before the District Magistrate within 15 days, and subsequently before the Chief Electoral Officer within 30 days.
Following the disposal of claims and objections between August 31 and October 29, the final electoral roll for Delhi will be published on November 4, 2026. (ANI)
Delhi Chief Electoral Office releases first draft electoral roll after major verification exercise
