SIR removes 34.25 lakh names from MP voter list, BLOs conduct door-to-door checks

Booth Level Officers (BLOs) are conducting door-to-door verification in Madhya Pradesh's Bhopal to identify eligible voters whose names were deleted from the electoral rolls during the Special Intensive Revision (SIR), following the removal of over 34.25 lakh names from the state's final voter list.

Booth Level Officers (BLOs) are conducting door-to-door verification in Madhya Pradesh's Bhopal to identify eligible voters whose names were deleted from the electoral rolls during the Special Intensive Revision (SIR), following the removal of over 34.25 lakh names from the state's final voter list. The exercise aims to include eligible voters whose names were left out and register new voters who have turned 18. However, some residents whose names were deleted during the revision said they were still waiting for officials to visit their homes and facilitate the process of restoring their names to the electoral rolls.

During the door-to-door exercise in Bhim Nagar, BLOs were asking residents about the names of family members registered on the voter list and identifying those who had turned 18 but were yet to enrol. Officials were also informing residents about the documents required to add names or make corrections to voter details. BLO Anand Paul Wilson said the exercise was focused on identifying young people eligible to register as voters and those who may have been left out of the electoral rolls during the SIR.

"The requirement to submit a declaration regarding details from 2003, which was applicable during the earlier process, had been removed for new voter registrations. Eligible applicants can now submit their details along with documents such as Aadhaar cards", he said. Wilson added, "that people whose names had been deleted could apply for their inclusion by submitting a copy of their previous voter ID, an Aadhaar card and the required form"

Meanwhile, some residents whose names were deleted during the SIR said they were yet to receive assistance from officials. Abid Ali, a resident of Bhim Nagar, said his and his mother's names were deleted from the voter list after an unidentified person allegedly submitted Form 7, claiming that they no longer lived at their address.

"We have been living at the same address for the last 30 years. No one came to enquire or verify the information before our names were deleted," he said. "Ali said he had approached Congress leader Amit Sharma for assistance and had heard that the process to restore deleted names had restarted. However, no official had visited his residence so far", he added.

Another resident, P C Yadav, said: "his name had also been deleted during the revision, but he was unaware of the reason. He said he had submitted the required form earlier and had been waiting for his name to be restored". Yadav said he had heard that the process of adding names had resumed and hoped that his name would be included in the electoral rolls, but no BLO had visited him yet.

The exercise has also triggered a political exchange between the Congress and the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP). Congress leader Amit Sharma alleged that Form 7 had been misused to delete the names of eligible voters and accused the authorities of attempting to correct the errors through the renewed exercise.

"He claimed that several instances had been reported in which some family members' names were deleted while others continued to remain on the voter list. Sharma alleged that the fresh exercise was an attempt to cover up irregularities in the earlier revision". BJP leader Brij Gopal Loya rejected the allegations and said no voter had been removed from the list through an improper process.

"He said names of deceased voters, people who had shifted residences, those who were absent and voters registered at multiple locations had been removed. He added that the Election Commission had provided another opportunity for eligible voters to submit their documents and get their names included in the electoral rolls". Loya said the revision was intended to ensure that eligible voters were not left out while duplicate and ineligible entries were removed. He urged those whose names were missing to participate in the process and submit the required documents.

Madhya Pradesh Minister Narendra Shivaji Patel also defended the Election Commission, saying the electoral roll revision was a continuing process and that the poll body functioned independently. He accused the Congress of politicising the exercise and said the removal of duplicate or fraudulent entries was part of the process of maintaining accurate electoral rolls.

Meanwhile, Samajwadi Party state president Manoj Yadav criticised the SIR exercise, alleging that it had been carried out to benefit the BJP. He accused the authorities of deleting eligible voters' names and said the renewed process was an attempt to rectify earlier mistakes. Yadav also alleged that the removal of the requirement to provide details dating back to 2003 indicated shortcomings in the earlier process.

According to the Election Commission's figures, Madhya Pradesh had more than 5.74 crore voters before the SIR, while the final electoral roll recorded 5,39,81,065 voters. The final list reflected a reduction of 34,25,078 names. In Bhopal, around 3.88 lakh deleted entries are being examined, with special camps planned to facilitate verification and the inclusion of eligible voters.

The renewed exercise is expected to provide an opportunity for residents whose names were omitted to seek their inclusion in the electoral rolls. (ANI)