Massive Voter List Removal Sparks Concerns Across India

Nearly 95 lakh electors in Madhya Pradesh, Chhattisgarh, Kerala, and the Andaman and Nicobar Islands were excluded from the recently published draft electoral rolls. The most significant numbers were observed in Madhya Pradesh and Chhattisgarh. Final electoral rolls will be released on February 14, 2024, allowing affected individuals to apply for inclusion.

Nearly 95 lakh electors in Madhya Pradesh, Chhattisgarh, Kerala, and the Andaman and Nicobar Islands have been omitted from the draft electoral rolls, raising serious concerns ahead of the upcoming elections.

The draft, published on Tuesday, shows substantial omissions, with 64,000 electors missing in Andaman and Nicobar Islands alone. Kerala saw the exclusion of 24.08 lakh names from its over 2.78 crore electorate.

In Chhattisgarh, off-roll electors accounted for 27.34 lakh, while Madhya Pradesh witnessed 42.74 lakh names dropped. The final electoral rolls will be released on February 14, 2024, giving those affected an opportunity to apply for reinstatement through elector registration officers.

(With inputs from agencies.)