The Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls in Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar has revealed that 1,63,649 voters have permanently relocated outside the district. Urban constituencies are experiencing a higher migration rate compared to rural areas. Additionally, the revision uncovered 94,969 deceased voters and 77,796 duplicate entries, highlighting substantial inaccuracies within the electoral rolls.
The district now has 26,08,507 registered voters, according to the draft electoral roll released on Monday. More than 6.08 lakh voters have, however, been categorised as uncollectable, raising concerns over the accuracy of voter records. Officials said 2,70,960 voters could not be traced at their registered addresses during SIR, while 9,510 voters failed to submit their SIR response forms. “These voters will have to submit Form 6 afresh along with a self-declaration. Meanwhile, youth activist Adil Madni expressed concern that the pool of over 6 lakh uncollectable voters could include genuine electors whose names might have been wrongly marked for deletion.
Deputy district election officer Savita Choudhar said voters whose SIR forms were not received during the first phase and whose names were absent from the draft roll would have to reapply. They will be given another opportunity to establish their residency,” Choudhar said. “We hope the claims and objections process, followed by notices, hearings and verification, is conducted in a fair, transparent and accountable manner,” Madni said.
