Figures show 2.89 crore voters removed statewide, with up to 20% cuts reported in several Muslim-majority areas; parties seek transparency and correction windows
LUCKNOW — The release of the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) draft voter list in Uttar Pradesh on Tuesday has set off a sharp political row, with opposition parties alleging that a Bihar-style exercise has been repeated, leading to the removal of a large number of voters, many of them from Muslim-majority districts.
The Election Commission’s draft shows that 2.89 crore names have been removed from the rolls after the SIR. Before the revision, Uttar Pradesh had about 15.44 crore registered voters. The new draft places the figure at nearly 12.55 crore, a fall of close to 18 per cent.
Opposition leaders say the pattern of deletions has raised serious doubts. They point to districts with a high Muslim population where cuts range around 15 to 20 per cent. The issue has revived memories of Bihar, where a similar revision before elections had drawn complaints of minority voters being left out.
Samajwadi Party leader Fakhrul Hasan Chand reacted strongly, saying, “The Samajwadi Party has always stood to protect the rights of PDA voters — backward classes, Dalits and minorities. We will stay alert and will not allow even a single vote from the PDA community to be missed.”
He asked the Election Commission to act in a fair manner. “The voter list process must be transparent. Linking voter cards with Aadhaar can help prevent mistakes and remove doubts,” he said.
Data from the draft list show that Lucknow recorded the highest deletion rate. Around 30.05 per cent of voters were removed. The capital city earlier had about 39.94 lakh voters, a number that has now dropped to nearly 27.94 lakh, meaning close to 12 lakh names no longer appear.
Ghaziabad follows, with 28.83 per cent names removed. The district’s voter count has fallen from about 28 lakh to nearly 20 lakh. Balrampur, near the Nepal border, is next, with 25.98 per cent names cut, affecting more than four lakh voters.
The impact is also visible in Muslim-majority districts such as Saharanpur, Muzaffarnagar, Moradabad, Rampur and Sambhal. These areas have Muslim populations ranging between 40 and 50 per cent. In the draft list, around one-fifth of voters in these districts have been removed.
Moradabad saw 3,87,628 names deleted, around 15.76 per cent of its voters. Saharanpur recorded a cut of 4,32,539 voters, about 16.37 per cent. Muzaffarnagar lost 3,44,222 names, nearly 16.29 per cent. Rampur saw 3,21,572 deletions, close to 18.29 per cent. Sambhal recorded 3,18,615 names removed, also about 18.29 per cent.
These districts together account for 28 assembly seats and play a key role in state politics. Leaders fear that large-scale deletions may affect representation if genuine voters fail to get their names restored in time.
The Election Commission has said the removals are based on clear reasons. Officials state that 46.23 lakh voters were removed due to deaths. About 2.17 crore names were deleted because people had shifted to other places. Another 25.47 lakh names were taken off after being found as duplicates.
An official source said, “The SIR is a routine exercise to clean the rolls. Claims and objections can be filed, and genuine voters will get a chance to be added back.”
Opposition parties insist that the process must be closely watched, especially in minority areas. “Democracy works only when every eligible citizen can vote,” a senior SP leader said. “The commission must make sure no community feels targeted or left out.”
