Over 27 lakh voters deleted in Chhattisgarh's electoral list
New Delhi, December 24
The Election Commission in Chhattisgarh has deleted over 27 lakh voters in the state as part of its ongoing Special Intensive Revision exercise, as per the data released by the poll body.
According to the ECI, out of a total of 2,12,30,737 (as of November 27, 2025), 1,84,95,920 people have submitted their enumeration forms till December 18, reflecting the overwhelming participation in this phase of the SIR.
A total of 27,34,817 have been deleted from the rolls. Out of the total, 6,42,234 were found to be dead, 19,13,540 were marked shifted or absent (from their residence), and 1,79,043 were already enrolled at multiple places.
"The successful completion of this phase is the result of coordinated efforts of DEOs of 33 districts,, 90 Electoral Registration Officers (EROs), 377 Assistant Electoral Registration Officers (AEROs), & 734 Additonal Assistant Electoral Registration Officers (AAEROs), and BLOs deployed at 24,371 polling booths. supported by 30000+ volunteers. Field representatives of all 7 recognised political parties, including their District Presidents, also actively participated, with as many as 38,846 Booth Level Agents (BLA) appointed by them," the Chhattisgarh EC said in an official statement.
As per the poll body, the period of claims and objections started on Tuesday (December 23), and will continue until January 22, 2026, giving electors an opportunity to include their name in the list.
The hearing and verification phase will take place from December 23 to February 14, 2026. The final list is set to be published on February 21.
The ECI has requested people to fill the appropriate form if they wish to have their name included in the list, with Form 6 for new and first-time voters, Form 7 to request a deletion of their name, and Form 8 for correction of entries, including getting one's EPIC number updated or replaced.
"Citizens can submit their application forms to their Booth Level Officer (BLO), or Application form can also be submitted online through the ECINET mobile app or via https://voters.eci.gov.in," the Chhattisgarh CEO said.
As per Para 5(b) of SIR guidelines, no name can be deleted from the draft roll published on December 16, 2025 without notice and a speaking order by the ERO/AERO. Any aggrieved elector may appeal to the District Magistrate and thereafter to the Chief Electoral Officer under Section 24 of the RP Act, 1950, according to the EC.
— ANI
Reader Comments
While cleaning the list is important, I hope genuine voters aren't removed by mistake. 19 lakh marked as 'shifted' is concerning. Many people migrate for work within the state or to other states. They should still have the right to vote in their home constituency. The online submission option is a good step though.
The scale of coordination mentioned is impressive – from DEOs to 30,000+ volunteers. It shows the machinery is working. But the real test is the claims and objections period. People need to check their names now. Don't complain later if you didn't verify! 🗳ï¸
Respectfully, I have a criticism. The process seems robust on paper, but at the ground level, is the common villager aware of Form 6, 7, and 8? The BLOs and volunteers need to do extensive outreach, especially in tribal areas of Chhattisgarh. Transparency is key.
Over 1.7 lakh people enrolled at multiple places! This is exactly the kind of ghost voter problem we need to eliminate. Strong action should be taken against those who do this intentionally. One person, one vote – that's the foundation of our democracy.
The provision for appeal to the District Magistrate and CEO is a crucial safeguard. It's good to see the process has checks and balances. The timeline is clear too. Hope the final list in February is clean and fair for all parties involved.
We welcome thoughtful discussions from our readers. Please keep comments respectful and on-topic.