Electoral roll revisions reduced the combined electorate across five poll-bound states by 2.29 crore. Uttar Pradesh accounted for nearly 90 per cent of the overall decline.The five states are expected to hold Assembly elections early next year.
The number of voters in Uttar Pradesh, Uttarakhand, Goa, Punjab and Manipur fell by up to 13.24 per cent after the Special Intensive Revision of electoral rolls, according to data reported by news agency Press Trust of India.The five states are expected to hold Assembly elections early next year. Their combined electorate declined by about 2.29 crore, or 12.2 per cent, from nearly 18.71 crore before the revision to 16.43 crore in the final rolls.Data recently released by the Election Commission and state chief electoral officers showed that Uttar Pradesh, which has the largest electorate among Indian states, accounted for nearly 90 per cent of the overall reduction.Uttar Pradesh underwent the revision in the second phase.
Its electorate fell from 15.44 crore before the exercise to 12.56 crore in the draft roll before rising to 13.40 crore in the final roll. The net decline was about 2.04 crore, or 13.24 per cent, the steepest among the five states.
The draft roll in Uttar Pradesh excluded about 2.89 crore names. Around 84 lakh names, or roughly 29 per cent of those excluded, were restored in the final roll.In Punjab, where the revision was conducted in the third phase, the number of voters declined from 2.15 crore to 1.94 crore in the draft roll before rising to 2.01 crore in the final roll.
The net reduction was about 14 lakh, or 6.34 per cent. Punjab recorded the strongest recovery among the five states.
About seven lakh of the nearly 21 lakh names excluded from the draft, or around 34 per cent, were restored.Uttarakhand also underwent the exercise in the third phase. Its electorate fell from 80 lakh to 71 lakh in the draft roll and ended at 72 lakh in the final roll.
The net reduction was about eight lakh, or 10.07 per cent. Only about 25,000 names were restored, accounting for around three per cent of draft exclusions.In Manipur, where the revision was conducted in the third phase, the number of voters declined from 20.9 lakh to 19.3 lakh in the draft roll before rising to 19.6 lakh in the final roll.
The net reduction was about 1.3 lakh, or 6.33 per cent, similar to Punjab. About 17 per cent of the names excluded from the draft were restored, according to the data cited by PTI.Goa underwent the exercise in the second phase.
Its electorate declined from 11.85 lakh to 10.85 lakh in the draft roll and then fell further to 10.58 lakh in the final roll. The net reduction was nearly 1.3 lakh, or 10.76 per cent.
Goa was the only state among the five where the final roll was smaller than the draft roll, with no net restoration of names.While ordering a special summary revision in 17 states recently, the Election Commission noted that Assembly elections in the five states could be held "early next year". The ongoing revision ahead of the polls will give eligible voters left out of the rolls another opportunity to enrol.People who turn 18 on or before January 1 will also be able to register as voters and cast their ballots in the five states.The term of the 403-member Uttar Pradesh Assembly ends on May 22 next year.
The terms of the 60-member Manipur, 40-member Goa, 117-member Punjab and 70-member Uttarakhand Assemblies end on different dates in March 2027. The Representation of the People Act, 1950, allows the Election Commission to hold elections "earlier than six months before the term expires".Overall, the revision reduced the combined electorate of the five poll-bound states by about 2.29 crore, with Uttar Pradesh recording the largest decline, while the summary revision will offer eligible and newly adult voters another chance to join the rolls.- Ends