New Delhi: With the end of the second phase of Special Intensive Revision (SIR) exercise across 12 states and Union Territories, the Election Commission has removed around 5.18 crore names from electoral rolls.
At the beginning of the process, there were around 50.99 crore in the voters list, which had been reduced to 45.81 crore, which meant that 10.2 percent of voters were removed from the electoral rolls, according to the commission’s latest data.
EC removes 66,88,636 deceased electors
Notably, the EC removed 66,88,636 deceased electors from the voters’ list. Of them, the maximum of 25.47 lakh deceased voters were from Uttar Pradesh. They were followed by 24.16 lakh from West Bengal. Apart from them, 63.16 lakh names were removed from the list following objections during the SIR exercise.
The second list of SIR exercise has been completed in Uttar Pradesh, Tamil Nadu, West Bengal, Rajasthan, Chhattisgarh, Kerala, Puducherry, the Andaman and Nicobar Islands, Lakshadweep, Gujarat, Madhya Pradesh, and Goa. The final list was published on different dates. Earlier, the EC had conducted the SIR exercise in Bihar.
EC to cover SIR in 17 states, 5 UTs
The SIR will cover electoral rolls in 17 states and five union territories, likely to be announced after the results are announced for elections in Kerala, Assam, Tamil Nadu, West Bengal, and Puducherry. While Assam, Kerala and Puducherry went to polls on April 9, Tamil Nadu will go to polls on April 3 , along with the first phase of polling in West Bengal.
The second phase of polling in West Bengal will be held on April 29. The results of all four states and the Union Territory of Puducherry will be announced on May 4. Assam witnessed Special Revision, instead of the SIR, which was completed on February 10.