The Maharashtra Pradesh Congress Committee (MPCC) on Tuesday, 22 September alleged that serious irregularities in the ongoing Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls in Maharashtra could disenfranchise lakhs of eligible voters, threatening democratic participation across the state. The party submitted a formal representation to Maharashtra Chief Electoral Officer S. Chockalingam, demanding urgent corrective action.

Scale of Alleged Deletions

A Congress delegation led by state party president Harshwardhan Sapkal claimed that out of Maharashtra's 9.78 crore registered voters, over 2.06 crore names — accounting for 21.14 per cent of the total electorate — have been moved to the Absent, Shifted, Dead, Duplicate and Others (ASDDO) category. The party further alleged that nearly 40 lakh voters who were added during the 2024 elections had been removed over the last 22 months.

Additionally, the MPCC claimed that over 1.22 crore voters have received notices owing to unmapped links with the 2002 electoral rolls or other data anomalies, potentially placing genuine voters at risk of exclusion. This is the most sweeping set of allegations levelled against a voter-roll revision exercise in Maharashtra in recent years.

Duplicate Entries and Process Delays

The party alleged that duplicate entries persist despite the revision exercise being underway. Citing Nagpur district as a specific example, Congress said approximately 25,000 duplicate names were identified across the Kamthi, Hingna, Ramtek, Umred, Saoner and Katol Assembly constituencies. It also alleged that physical notices to voters were delayed by 15 to 20 days, undermining the effectiveness of the SIR process.

The party noted that the ongoing claims and objections window — running from 31 August to 30 September — coincides with major festivals including Janmashtami, Bail Pola and Ganesh Utsav, which it argued had reduced public participation in the revision process.

Concerns Over Ground-Level Implementation

Congress also raised concerns about the workload placed on school teachers serving as Booth Level Officers (BLOs), arguing that election duties alongside academic responsibilities could compromise both the quality of the revision exercise and students' education. This comes amid broader concerns about the adequacy of administrative resources during large-scale electoral roll revisions.

Key Demands Put to the Election Authority

In its memorandum, the MPCC sought a two-month extension of the revision exercise to allow voters sufficient time to complete registrations, file Form 6 applications and respond to notices. Among the specific demands were: broader acceptance of commonly available identity documents — including ration cards, MGNREGS job cards, Aadhaar cards, PAN cards, school leaving certificates, assessment extracts and gazette notifications for married women.

The party further called for mandatory notices and in-person hearings in cases where voter status is challenged through Form 7, citing principles of natural justice. It also recommended doorstep hearings for senior citizens, persons with disabilities and medically unfit voters. Congress additionally demanded the appointment of Assistant BLOs at booths with more than 600 voters and the daily online publication of booth-wise data on Forms 6, 7 and 8 received during the objection period.

The party maintained that unless corrective measures are taken urgently, the Election Commission's stated objective of ensuring no eligible voter is excluded while weeding out ineligible entries risks being undermined in practice.