By Our Correspondent
BHUBANESWAR: An official letter, dated 18 April 2026 from the Government of Odisha’s Home (Elections) Department, is an internal directive issued by Sri Sushanta Kumar Mishra, Additional Chief Electoral Officer-cum-Special Secretary to Government addressing all Electoral Registration Officers (EROs) across the state, stated that approximately 9.8 lakh (980,000) names have been removed since the elector mapping/revision process began
Context and Background: Odisha is undertaking a routine but intensive revision of its electoral rolls (voter lists) ahead of future elections. This process involves adding, correcting, and deleting entries to ensure accuracy and prevent issues like duplicates, deceased voters, or shifted residents remaining on the rolls.
Deletions so far: Approximately 9.8 lakh (980,000) names have been removed since the elector mapping/revision process began. Earlier reports (around March 2026) mentioned about 7.68 lakh deletions, indicating the number has grown.
Complaints received: A “substantial number” of grievances about wrongful deletions, including cases where:
Living electors found their names missing.
Booth Level Officers (BLOs) allegedly deleted names without field visits or proper verification.
This has raised concerns about potential disenfranchisement of genuine voters. In response, the Chief Electoral Officer (CEO), Odisha, instructed that around 2 lakh Form-7 applications received after 2nd April 2026 be placed on hold. Form-7 is the standard application used to object to or seek deletion of a name from the voter list (e.g., due to death, duplication, or shifting).
The letter emphasizes strict adherence to due process before any further deletions, reflecting an effort to correct procedural lapses while maintaining the integrity of the rolls.
Key Instructions in the Letter:
The directive lists mandatory steps that all EROs must follow before deleting any name. These are designed to prevent errors and ensure fairness:
Death Cases:
Delete only after due verification and following the prescribed procedure.
Ideally, a near relative or family member should submit Form-7.
Notice must be served at the last known address before deletion.
DSE Cases (likely Duplicate/Suspected Entries or similar flagged cases):
Thorough verification required.
For suspected duplicates or doubtful matches: Issue notices to the concerned electors and follow due process.
Verification of Form-7 Cases (general objections/applications, excluding death/DSE):
EROs/AEROs (Assistant EROs) or authorized representatives must physically verify at least 50% of Form-7 applications received after 2nd April 2026.This involves personally contacting the applicants.Notices must be served at the last known address.
All statutory procedures (as per Representation of the People Act and ECI guidelines) must be followed. The letter stresses that these instructions are to be “strictly adhered to” and highlights concerns raised by electors. It implies that wrongly deleted names should be restored promptly upon verification.
Analysis and Implications:
Purpose: This is a corrective and precautionary measure. The high volume of deletions (9.8 lakh is notably higher than the typical annual figure of around 7-8 lakh) combined with complaints suggests the initial revision phase may have been overly aggressive or lacked sufficient ground-level checks by BLOs/EROs. The government/CEO is now intervening to restore public trust and avoid legal or political backlash.
Procedural Safeguards: Requiring physical verification for at least 50% of recent Form-7s and notices in death cases aligns with Election Commission of India (ECI) standards for natural justice. It prevents arbitrary removals while still allowing legitimate clean-up (e.g., actual deceased or duplicate entries).
Potential Challenges:
Timeline Pressure: With the letter dated mid-April 2026, EROs face a tight schedule to re-verify thousands of cases. Delays could affect the final publication of the electoral roll.
Resource Strain: Physical visits and notices for a large number of cases require significant manpower from BLOs and EROs.
Political Sensitivity: Voter list revisions often become contentious. Opposition parties or affected voters might allege targeted deletions (a broader national debate around “Form-7 misuse” has occurred in other states). Conversely, the ruling side may view this as necessary housekeeping to remove “bogus” voters. No major political accusations are directly tied to this specific Odisha directive yet, but the spike in deletions has already sparked local media attention and “alarm” over accuracy.
Broader Electoral Roll Cleaning Context: Deletions typically include deaths, migrations, and duplicates. Earlier Assembly statements noted significant duplicates (e.g., 1.55 lakh people with multiple IDs in prior data). The process is standard and ongoing, but the volume here has triggered this review.
Positive Aspect: The directive explicitly calls for restoring wrongly deleted voters and examining all complaints. This shows responsiveness from the state’s election machinery.
Overall Assessment: This letter represents a mid-course correction in Odisha’s ongoing electoral roll revision. It acknowledges lapses in verification (especially by BLOs) that led to complaints and halts hasty further deletions. By mandating physical checks, notices, and due process, it aims to balance two goals: (1) cleaning inaccurate entries for fair elections, and (2) protecting genuine voters from erroneous exclusion.
For voters in Odisha:If your name or a family member’s was deleted and you believe it was wrongful, file a complaint or Form-6 (for inclusion) through official channels (Voters’ Helpline, CEO Odisha portal, or local ERO). Monitor updates via the National Voters’ Service Portal (NVSP) or CEO Odisha website.
The process remains under scrutiny, with the directive marked as urgent. This should lead to a more accurate final voter list, but the outcome depends on how rigorously EROs implement these instructions in the coming weeks.
