Uttar Pradesh – The Election Commission of India has announced a significant development in Uttar Pradesh’s electoral landscape with the UP voter roll deletion affecting nearly a fifth of the state’s current voter list. This massive revision has reduced the electoral roll substantially, marking one of the largest such exercises in the state’s history.
Historic Scale of UP Voter Roll Deletion
The UP voter roll deletion on Tuesday saw approximately 2.89 crore voters removed from the state’s electoral list following the conclusion of the enumeration phase of the Special Intensive Revision (SIR). Uttar Pradesh Chief Electoral Officer Navdeep Rinwa confirmed that the electoral roll, which previously had 15.44 crore voters, was reduced to 12.55 crore after this comprehensive revision exercise.
The magnitude of the UP voter roll deletion represents an 18.7 percent reduction, meaning roughly one in every five voters has been removed from the draft list. This substantial decrease has raised important questions about electoral integrity and the accuracy of voter registration processes in India’s most populous state.
Understanding the UP Voter Roll Deletion Process
According to the Election Commission of India’s statement, a total of 12,55,56,025 electors from the original 15,44,30,092 electors as per the Electoral Roll dated October 27, 2025, submitted their Enumeration Forms by the last enumeration date of December 26, 2025. The UP voter roll deletion reflected what the commission described as “overwhelming participation in the first phase of SIR.”
The systematic approach to the UP voter roll deletion involved careful categorization of removed voters. The commission provided detailed breakdowns showing deceased voters accounting for approximately 46.23 lakh (2.99 percent), shifted voters comprising 2.17 crore (14.06 percent), and duplicate voters totaling 25.46 lakh (1.65 percent) of the deletions.
Categories Within UP Voter Roll Deletion
The UP voter roll deletion exercise revealed interesting patterns in voter list discrepancies. The largest category affected by the deletion consisted of voters who had shifted their residence, accounting for over 2.17 crore names. This substantial number suggests significant internal migration within Uttar Pradesh and movement to other states.
Deceased voters formed the second major category in the UP voter roll deletion, with 46.23 lakh names removed. While this represents nearly 3 percent of deletions, it highlights the importance of regular electoral roll updates to maintain accuracy and prevent potential fraud.
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Duplicate entries, comprising 25.46 lakh voters in the UP voter roll deletion, represented 1.65 percent of removed names. These duplications could have resulted from multiple registrations, clerical errors, or attempts at fraudulent voter registration.
Claims and Objections Period
The Election Commission emphasized that the UP voter roll deletion is not final. Genuine electors whose names were removed can still be added back to the electoral roll during the Claims and Objections period, which runs from January 6, 2026, to February 6, 2026. Affected voters must fill Form-6 along with a Declaration Form and other relevant documents to be reinstated.
This provision in the UP voter roll deletion process ensures that legitimate voters inadvertently removed from the list have an opportunity to correct errors and reclaim their voting rights before the electoral roll is finalized.
Extension and Timeline
The UP voter roll deletion exercise faced timeline challenges. Originally scheduled to end on December 11, the state sought a 15-day extension after noticing that nearly 2.97 crore names were being excluded from the draft list. This extension allowed additional time for enumeration and verification, though the final deletion count of 2.89 crore remained substantial.
Comparative Analysis with Other States
The UP voter roll deletion must be viewed within the broader context of similar exercises across India. The Election Commission recently concluded SIR in Tamil Nadu and Gujarat, where electoral rolls were shortened by 97 lakh and 74 lakh voters respectively. Additionally, Assam’s special enumeration resulted in the UP voter roll deletion of 10.56 lakh names.
While these numbers are significant, the scale of the UP voter roll deletion dwarfs other states’ reductions, both in absolute numbers and as a proportion of the voter base. This difference reflects Uttar Pradesh’s massive population and the complexity of maintaining accurate electoral rolls in India’s largest state.
Electoral Integrity Implications
The UP voter roll deletion raises important questions about electoral integrity and administrative efficiency. The removal of nearly one-fifth of registered voters suggests either significant previous inaccuracies in the electoral roll or substantial demographic changes that were not previously captured.
Participation and Verification
The Election Commission’s statement highlighted “overwhelming participation” in the first phase of SIR, with over 12.55 crore voters submitting enumeration forms. This high participation rate in the UP voter roll deletion process demonstrates public engagement with electoral procedures and the commission’s outreach effectiveness.
Conclusion
The UP voter roll deletion of 2.89 crore names represents a landmark exercise in electoral roll maintenance. As the Claims and Objections period progresses, the final numbers may shift slightly, but this revision will significantly impact Uttar Pradesh’s electoral landscape. The exercise underscores the importance of regular voter list updates and the Election Commission’s commitment to maintaining accurate, fraud-free electoral rolls for India’s democratic processes.
