Controversy Erupts Over Massive Voter List Deletions in Uttar Pradesh

The Congress and Samajwadi Party have challenged the Election Commission's draft electoral roll for deleting 2.89 crore voters' names. Allegations include improper voter registration transfer, chiefly affecting residents who relocated within Uttar Pradesh. CEO Navdeep Rinwa refuted claims, stating corrections would appear in the final electoral roll due in March.

The Election Commission faced accusations from the Congress and Samajwadi Party over the recent draft electoral roll, which saw the deletion of approximately 2.89 crore voters' names in Uttar Pradesh. The opposition parties argue that the process was marred by significant irregularities, particularly impacting voters who have changed their residence.

Congress leader Gurdeep Singh Sappal highlighted the issue of voters' names not being transferred to new addresses, raising the prospect that a substantial number of voters could effectively be disenfranchised. According to Sappal, the lack of a systematic method for transferring voter registrations has resulted in the erasure of past voting records for those affected.

Chief Electoral Officer Navdeep Rinwa has categorically denied any malfeasance, asserting that the voter list revision process is ongoing. He emphasized that the final electoral roll will accurately reflect legitimate additions and deletions, with the corrected list scheduled for release in March after a claims and objections period.

(With inputs from agencies.)