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EYE ON INDIA JANUARY 16, 2026 | The Indian Eye 6

UP’s Voter Roll Shock Sparks

Political Storm Ahead of 2027 Polls

The deletion of nearly three crore names from Uttar Pradesh’s draft electoral roll

has set off alarm bells across the political spectrum, sharpening anxieties about representation,

mobilisation and trust in the run-up to the Assembly elections.

OUR BUREAU voters are added, and announced
that SP workers—dubbed “PDA Pra-
Lucknow / New Delhi
hari”—would file FIRs against any
he publication of Uttar attempt at manipulation. For the SP,
Pradesh’s draft electoral roll the voter rolls issue fits neatly into its
Thas triggered an unusually in- broader campaign of portraying the
tense political churn, with the sheer BJP as misusing state machinery to
scale of deletions—2.89 crore voters, tilt the electoral playing field.
nearly 18.7 per cent of the elector- Election officials, for their part,
ate—sending ripples through both insist the process is transparent and
the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party time-bound. The claims and objec-
(BJP) and the opposition. While the tions window, running from January
Election Commission (EC) has de- 6 to February 6, allows any eligible
fended the Special Intensive Revision voter to seek inclusion or raise objec-
(SIR) as a routine, evidence-based tions to deletions. Over 400 Electoral
exercise, the political consequences Registration Officers and more than
have been anything but routine in In- 2,000 Assistant EROs have been
dia’s most populous state. deployed to scrutinize applications,
According to the EC, the draft with additional officers notified to
roll now contains 12.55 crore voters, ensure the final roll is published by
down sharply from over 15.4 crore March 6.
earlier. Officials attribute the dele- The EC also points to strong par-
tions primarily to voters marked as ticipation in the enumeration phase,
deceased, migrated, untraceable, ab- with over 12.55 crore signed forms
sent during verification, or enrolled submitted, as evidence that the exer-
in multiple locations. Yet the num- Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath cise has been comprehensive rather
bers—46.23 lakh deceased voters, than exclusionary. Still, the political
2.17 crore migrants or untraceable optics of such large-scale deletions
electors, and over 25 lakh duplicate crore voters should be eligible in UP and an urban address in the city remain sensitive, especially in a state
registrations—have raised eyebrows, Uttar Pradesh, and wants its cadre where they work. Party workers have where elections are often decided by
particularly given the proximity of to help enroll over 3.5 crore voters been asked to persuade such voters razor-thin margins across caste, com-
the exercise to the 2027 Assembly during the claims and objections pe- to retain registration where they can munity and regional lines.
elections. riod. These include first-time voters, “conveniently” vote on polling day, Beyond the immediate contro-
For the BJP, the deletions have those deleted due to documentation an acknowledgment of the reality versy, the episode underscores a
prompted quiet concern rather than errors, migrants, and voters marked that long-distance travel often de- deeper tension in Indian democra-
public celebration. Hours after the untraceable during the SIR. presses turnout. cy: the balance between electoral
draft roll was released, Chief Minister Senior BJP leaders say the strat- The opposition, however, sees hygiene and political trust. While
Yogi Adityanath and state BJP pres- egy involves intensive outreach, par- something more troubling in these cleaning up voter rolls is essential to
ident Pankaj Chaudhary convened a ticularly to migrant workers from moves. Samajwadi Party (SP) chief prevent fraud and duplication, mass
virtual meeting with ministers, MPs, Uttar Pradesh who are currently reg- Akhilesh Yadav has accused the deletions—however justified admin-
MLAs, party office-bearers and dis- istered as voters in other states. The BJP of attempting to “manufacture” istratively—risk fueling suspicion and
trict presidents. The message was logic, party insiders admit candidly, is votes under the guise of voter enrol- mobilisation battles among parties.
clear: the party cannot afford to lose political as much as procedural. With ment. He has alleged that pressure is As Uttar Pradesh moves to-
genuine supporters to administrative no Assembly elections in states like being exerted on administrative of- ward the finalization of its electoral
gaps. A concrete target was set—en- Delhi in the near future, UP-origin ficials to inflate voter numbers after rolls, the fight is no longer just about
sure at least 200 voters are added at voters working elsewhere are being the deletions rattled the ruling party. names on a list. It is about narrative
every polling booth before the rolls encouraged to shift their enrolment Speaking in Lucknow, Yadav control, organizational strength and
are finalized. back home, strengthening the BJP’s urged voters to verify their names at the ability to convert administrative
With 1.77 lakh polling booths voter base where it matters most. the booth level and warned against processes into political advantage. In
across the state after rationaliza- Another focus area is voters what he called a “false narrative” be- a state that often sets the tone for na-
tion, the arithmetic is striking. The registered in multiple constituen- ing pushed by the BJP. He went fur- tional politics, even the voter list has
party estimates that around 15.5 cies—often with a rural address in ther, threatening legal action if fake become a contested battlefield.

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