Bhubaneswar, April 20 (NationPress) The opposition party Biju Janata Dal (BJD) has expressed significant apprehensions regarding the operations of the Election Commission of India (ECI). They claim that a substantial number of voter names are being eliminated from the electoral rolls amid the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) process.

During a press conference held on Monday, party officials indicated that similar issues of extensive deletions are surfacing in Odisha as well.

At this press event, BJD's senior Vice President Debi Prasad Mishra pointed out that the Election Commission revises the electoral rolls every January. In this year’s revision, it is estimated that over 1 million voters have been removed from the electoral rolls in Odisha.

He mentioned that typically, around 700,000 voters are purged each year, but an additional 300,000 deletions this year raises troubling questions about the rapidity of such a large-scale removal. He added that with the upcoming SIR in Odisha, there is increasing worry that even more names may be taken off the rolls.

Mishra also highlighted that the SIR was last conducted in Odisha back in 2002. Furthermore, on August 19, 2025, a BJD delegation had met with the Election Commission of India to voice their concerns. They specifically requested that names of individuals who migrate out of the state for employment or livelihood should not be struck from the voters’ list.

In addition, senior party leader Prasanna Acharya noted that reports have surfaced indicating that approximately 50 million voters have been removed from the rolls across around 12 states and Union Territories due to the SIR executed by the ECI. With the SIR soon to take place in Odisha, there is apprehension that eligible voters might also be excluded here.

Acharya remarked that a letter from the Election Commission issued two days prior has only amplified these concerns. The fact that nearly 1 million voters were removed in just over a year raises serious questions about the transparency of the process.

He urged the government and the Election Commission to clarify these issues promptly, ensuring that citizens’ voting rights remain intact.

According to an April 18 letter from the Additional Chief Electoral Officer of Odisha, about 9.8 lakh voter names have been eliminated since the elector mapping commenced. Numerous complaints have been lodged, alleging improper deletions, including instances where voters were at their residences and cases where Booth Level Officers (BLOs) did not conduct proper field visits or verification before removing names from the electoral rolls.