Voters Left Struggling After Deletions During Electoral Revision Exercise

Many voters across Bihar and West Bengal found their names removed from electoral rolls during the Special Intensive Revision exercise, leaving them unable to vote and struggling to restore their names. Deepak Chauhan, a disabled resident from Bihar, said the booth-level officer marked him absent even though he was at home and knew him. Chauhan missed voting in the 2025 Bihar Assembly elections. Ramashankar Sah was told his deletion was due to being 'already registered', even though he submitted all documents and only ever voted in his constituency. Sunil Sah, a government servant, also had his name struck off despite his family filling out the form.

Further Deletions

Durgabati Devi stated her name was deleted without any cause despite submitting all requested documents. Shri Bhagwan Sah said his entire family was removed under the same cause, calling it a targeted attack affecting marginalised communities like Scheduled Castes, Scheduled Tribes, and Other Backward Classes. Rakesh Chauhan ended up under the 'already registered' category because officials made a mistake and filled in wrong details on his voter cards, rendering both invalid. S.K. Riaz faced a name discrepancy with his father while linking to the 2002 rolls, resulting in his family's names being struck off and ration quantities reduced.

Tribunal Cases

Retired Indian Air Force Wing Commander Md Shamim Akhtar stated his name was deleted in March 2026 without any notice or chance to appear for a hearing. Faruk Kazi linked his name to his grandfather on the 2002 list during the survey, but his name was struck off while his parents and brother were included, missing the chance to cast his first vote. Another resident, Sheikh, had his name removed because his father's name was listed as a nickname in the 2002 SIR, which affected his eligibility and government benefits. Bibi lost access to welfare schemes like the Annapurna Bhandar Yojana and Krishak Bandhu scheme after her name was struck off following mapping gaps with the 2002 voter list. Khatoon received a notice and a hearing call due to a mismatch with her father's name on the 2002 rolls.

Context

Electoral roll revision exercises involve verifying voter details and mapping records against past voter lists to update database accuracy. Administrative errors during such large-scale verification processes frequently cause difficulties for genuine citizens attempting to prove their residency and maintain voting rights. Such deletions often result in individuals appealing through official tribunals and seeking assistance from local activists to correct their records.