Extended timeline ensured accurate voter list: U.P. CEO

Uttar Pradesh is the largest State successful India, some successful presumption of the electorate and the fig of representatives, and you’ve been conducting elections since 2023. What are your experiences and what challenges person you faced?

We had much than 15 crore voters erstwhile we started the SIR. The astir challenging facet is that we person 403 Assembly and 80 Lok Sabha constituencies. So, having to retrieve the names of Electoral Registration Officers (EROs), District Election Officers, and the issues of assorted districts oregon regions is 1 facet which is antithetic from different States. Second, Uttar Pradesh is besides politically precise important, not lone successful presumption of numbers but besides successful presumption of the radical who contention elections from the State. The past Lok Sabha predetermination and earlier that the Assembly predetermination were precise hotly contested, truthful radical are politically precise aware. Politicians are besides precise knowledgeable astir electoral laws, and governmental parties and their cadres are besides precise active. So, successful presumption of handling complaints, the fig is huge, and this makes the task much challenging compared to immoderate different States.

The SIR process successful Uttar Pradesh has taken the longest among each different States till now. It began connected October 27 past year, and connected April 10, the last database volition beryllium coming out, which is astir six months. Apart from the sheer size, what would you accidental are the different reasons that marque its duration truthful long?

In Uttar Pradesh, the adjacent predetermination is astir a twelvemonth away, truthful determination was nary hurry to implicit the workout successful little time. Thus, successful bid to person a rigorous exercise, lessen the unit connected the Booth Level Officers (BLOs) and EROs, and alteration the chances of errors owed to clip pressure, we had sought much clip from the Election Commission (EC). All governmental parties, successful the 5 meetings we person had since the announcement of the SIR, besides asked for much time. I deliberation that it has helped, arsenic you whitethorn person seen that successful the archetypal phase, determination was immoderate hostility among the governmental parties. We had sent notices to astir 3.26 crore people. This full workout has been conducted successful a precise creaseless mode arsenic we staggered the hearings.

So, if the clip framework had been accrued successful different States arsenic well, would the process person been smoother?

The conditions whitethorn beryllium antithetic [in different States]. For example, Rajasthan was 1 of the States wherever it was conducted precise quickly. So, governmental parties whitethorn not person asked for much time. Accordingly, the CEO whitethorn not person asked for much time. Had they asked for much time, I deliberation the EC would person granted it.

In U.P., we are yet to spot the last list, but the draught database saw 2.89 crore names being deleted, which is the largest truthful acold for immoderate State. What is the crushed for this?

One crushed is that, for galore years, radical did not taxable Form 7 for the deletion of the names of radical who had died oregon shifted from their places of residence. There were astir 46 lakh radical whose names were removed due to the fact that they had died, astir 30 lakh due to the fact that determination were duplicate entries, and much than 1 crore were successful the permanently shifted category.

Urban centres person seen the maximum fig of deletions successful the State. What is the crushed for this? Also, person immoderate radical who had aggregate registrations tried to clasp their votes successful villages alternatively than successful cities?

The polling percent of municipality areas vis-à-vis agrarian areas is ever lower. Normally, radical property it to municipality apathy, but that is not the close oregon the lone reason. Another crushed is that successful municipality areas, the polling country is not good defined. New colonies are coming up, and implicit time, the polling areas get intermixed. This makes the upkeep of elector lists of municipality polling stations overmuch much hard than successful agrarian areas. Another crushed is that successful agrarian areas, everyone knows everyone. So, the occupation of a BLO becomes easier. In municipality areas, we don’t person area-specific BLOs who enactment successful that peculiar locality.

But person immoderate radical been near retired due to the fact that they were not contiguous astatine their homes oregon were travelling?

It whitethorn person occurred, but not successful important numbers. Because if idiosyncratic is travelling, astatine slightest idiosyncratic successful the household would beryllium there, truthful the enumeration signifier could beryllium signed, isolated from the voter, by immoderate big subordinate of the house. Also, the enumeration signifier successful Uttar Pradesh was not for 1 period but for 2 months, truthful we had plentifulness of clip for radical to instrumentality location and capable retired the form.

So, retired of the 2.89 crore names that went retired successful the draught list, however galore are we expecting to beryllium backmost successful the last list?

What I tin archer you is that we person received astir 86 lakh Form 6 submissions from October 27, 2025, erstwhile the SIR was announced successful Uttar Pradesh, till March 6, 2026, the past day of the claims and objections period. This includes caller voters arsenic good arsenic voters whose names were deleted for assorted reasons.

What is your sentiment connected the connection for a caller azygous electoral rotation for wide and section assemblage polls? Would it marque your occupation easier?

In immoderate States similar U.P., the State Act states that the State Election Commission volition hole its ain electoral rolls. But successful immoderate different States, they instrumentality the electoral rotation of the Assembly constituencies and past disagreement it arsenic per their wards. So, the EC had a league with State Election Commissioners immoderate months ago, and these issues were discussed.

Then, determination is besides a quality arsenic acold arsenic the eligibility of a elector is concerned. For example, successful Uttar Pradesh, if a idiosyncratic owns a residence successful a peculiar area, is 18 years oregon older, and is simply a national of India, past helium oregon she is eligible to beryllium enrolled successful the electoral rotation for section assemblage predetermination of that area. But for Assembly and Lok Sabha elections, simply owning a residence is not enough; you should besides beryllium usually residing successful that place. This eligibility information is antithetic for antithetic States arsenic per their ain Acts. So, the archetypal measurement should beryllium having a communal eligibility criterion, the aforesaid arsenic the 1 that is being utilized for Assembly and Lok Sabha elections, and past it tin beryllium implemented.

Sobhana K. Nair: What are the things that you deliberation the Election Commission could person done better, particularly considering the unit BLOs were under, chiefly astir training?

I deliberation we were fixed plentifulness of clip earlier the SIR started, and we had grooming sessions conducted. I deliberation each District Election Officer was trained for 1 full time connected electoral rolls. All 403 EROs were besides trained for a full day. Similarly, they were asked to bid their Assistant Electoral Registration Officers (AEROs) and BLOs. The lone happening that was caller during SIR was the enumeration signifier and the 2 columns wherever the idiosyncratic had to constitute the name, which was contiguous successful the electoral rolls erstwhile the past SIR had been conducted. On that part, I deliberation our grooming could person been better, successful the consciousness that determination should not person been immoderate uncertainty successful a BLO’s caput astir however to capable retired that form. I besides deliberation that determination should beryllium capable clip from announcing the SIR to the commencement of the enumeration phase. In U.P., we besides had to conflict to hunt for the past SIR electoral rolls.

Vijaita Singh: Have you been capable to place amerciable immigrants due to the fact that that was 1 of the mandates of this exercise?

So, the archetypal happening I would similar to clarify is that uncovering amerciable immigrants is not the nonsubjective of the SIR exercise. The nonsubjective is that each eligible persons should beryllium connected the electoral roll, and each persons who are not eligible should not beryllium connected the electoral roll. More than 2.88 crore names were deleted during the enumeration phase. So, if a idiosyncratic does not motion the enumeration form, we don’t cognize whether it is due to the fact that the idiosyncratic is not there, the idiosyncratic is not eligible, oregon the idiosyncratic is an amerciable immigrant. Because of the plan of the SIR process and the provisions of the Citizenship Act, done this exercise, we are beauteous assured that those who person travel connected the electoral rotation present are citizens of India.

Devesh K. Pandey: There is simply a immense chunk of migrant workers successful States similar U.P. Where are they eligible to registry to vote?

Actually, the regularisation is that 1 tin go a elector successful a spot wherever 1 is usually residing. So, if idiosyncratic from U.P. has a imperishable occupation successful Mumbai, for example, helium oregon she is eligible to ballot successful Mumbai, not successful the colony wherever helium oregon she came from. Such radical who spell for employment should ballot astatine the spot of residence backmost home.

Sobhana: How bash you specify an mean resident? One of the erstwhile manuals said we cannot travel up with a factual definition, and therefore, we permission it to the ERO. So, aren’t we leaving a batch of powerfulness successful the hands of the little bureaucracy to decide? And bash we request a factual definition?

There is nary explanation of mean residence arsenic of now. Earlier, it utilized to beryllium astir 1 year, past determination was immoderate amendment, and the play of residing for a fixed play was removed. This question has travel up successful galore Supreme Court judgments, and the settled presumption present is that a spot of mean residence is wherever you spell backmost aft work. For example, if you are moving successful Delhi and spell backmost to your colony successful Baghpat, that is your spot of residence.

Sandeep Phukan: The Supreme Court mandated that the Aadhaar paper should beryllium accepted arsenic an further papers successful the lawsuit of Bihar, but it was not being accepted successful Uttar Pradesh. Why was that? For astir mediocre people, Aadhaar is the easiest papers to furnish to beryllium their individuality and their spot of residence.

In the lawsuit of Uttar Pradesh, arsenic successful Bihar, Aadhaar was 1 of the documents fixed successful the database of documents by the EC. But determination was immoderate caveat successful the EC’s missive of a peculiar date, arsenic besides successful the Supreme Court’s order, which had to beryllium followed. It stated that Aadhaar is to beryllium taken arsenic a impervious of identity, but not arsenic a impervious of code oregon arsenic impervious of day oregon spot of birth.

A.M. Jigeesh: Earlier, it utilized to beryllium the signifier that the State, successful this lawsuit the law authority, which is the Election Commission, ensured that each national who had crossed 18 years got to vote. Now it is up to the voter. Are we turning to a benignant of American strategy wherever voters person to spell and register?

From the opening itself, the archetypal measurement had to beryllium ever taken by the voter; unless 1 fills up Form 6, the sanction cannot beryllium determination successful the electoral rolls. This was the strategy earlier, and this is the strategy now. The lone quality is that earlier, lone the declaration of a idiosyncratic that “I americium a national of India” was enough. But now, the plan of the SIR has made it compulsory that 1 has to amusement immoderate connection, either done parents oregon grandparents, to beryllium a national of India.

Jacob Koshy: The superior intent of cleaning up the electoral rolls and having these periodic exercises is that radical ballot successful the spot wherever they are expected to. But with the benignant of technological innovations that we person now, bash you deliberation that aft 10 years, specified exercises would adjacent beryllium necessary?

Yes, I deliberation with the exertion that is coming up, we tin marque definite that we bash not person an SIR to cleanable up the electoral rolls.

Anuj Kumar: What astir Form 7? Do you deliberation that it has go a instrumentality for coordinated elector suppression successful immoderate areas? What was your acquisition with it?

My reply successful little is no. What Form 7 does is that it gives america a starting constituent for an inquiry. So, you tin record 100 Form 7s, but if a idiosyncratic is eligible, determination is nary mode that the sanction volition beryllium removed. In the lawsuit of U.P., determination were galore complaints by governmental parties that determination were bulk forms, but the fig of Form 7s that we took connected committee was not much. My conjecture is astir 2-3 lakh. The fig of radical whose names got deleted due to the fact that of the filing of Form 7 by different idiosyncratic is precise low. We volition beryllium giving the numbers connected April 10.