1.2 electors from draft SIR list in Maharashtra need to show documents or could be excluded

Mumbai: Two crore electors have already been excluded from the draft list of the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) in

Maharashtra because their enumeration forms remained uncollected. Now, another 1.2 crore voters from the 7.7 crore who made it to the draft list face the challenge of providing additional documents which will have to pass scrutiny. Failing this, they may also be excluded from the final SIR list.

The 1.2 electors who account for 15.8% of those on the draft list include those whose enumeration forms were unmapped to the 2002-04 electoral roll. And those whose enumeration forms reported anomalies (details including name, age, address) compared to those on the electoral roll. In the state, 62.5 lakh electors on the draft list have been reported with anomalies in their enumeration forms. And 59.7 lakh electors on the draft list are unmapped.

Mumbai has reported the highest number of 20.9 lakh electors (31% on the draft list) who are set to receive notices to provide additional documents. Of these, 7 lakh electors had anomalies in their forms and 13.9 lakh had unmapped forms. Already, 36 lakh voters in Mumbai had been excluded from the draft roll, the highest in the state.

Pune is next on the list with 13.3 lakh electors (21.4% of draft list) set to receive notices.

Thane is third with 13.2 lakh electors (28.6% of the draft roll) listed for notices. Other districts with high numbers outside the MMR region include Nagpur (8.6 lakh), Nasik (7.3 lakh) and Solapur (5 lakh).

Hence, citizens have to respond to two red-flags raised in the SIR process. Those excluded from the draft list owing to enumeration forms being uncollected (the elector is reported absent, dead, duplicate or shifted or ASDD). And those whose enumeration forms have been identified as unmapped or with anomalies and will have to provide additional documents.

Electors in the ASDD category or those who did not fill the form at all, can make a fresh application to be part of the SIR voter list by filling form 6 by Sept 30.

The 1.2 crore electors who will be issued notices for the unmapped or anomaly category have until October 29 to respond and provide the documents. Those in the unmapped category will have to provide proof of themselves or their relatives being part of the 2002-04 electoral roll through one of the 11 documents listed by the ECI. The final electoral roll for the SIR in the state will be published on November 4.

Urban areas with a large migrant population and also electors who shift residences have been challenging for election authorities to track down for the SIR, officials say. However, Opposition parties say that already one-fifth of the state’s voters have already been removed while forming the draft list and another 1.2 crore voters now face exclusion.