Up to 500,000 may be excluded from final Maharashtra voters list over non-submission of documents

The November 10 deadline for submitting eligibility documents applies to electors whose details could not be mapped to the 2002 rolls or contained discrepancies

Up to 5% of the 12.2 million electors across Maharashtra flagged for discrepancies or non-mapping with the 2002 Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls may have their names deleted from the final voters’ list as they are yet to submit the required documents, officials in the poll body told Hindustan Times. The number of potential deletions has dropped significantly because of revised guidelines, the officials said.

In Mumbai, more than 5,500 electors in Dahisar and around 2,800 in Malabar Hill are yet to submit documents despite receiving notices from election officials. (HT Photo/Representation)

Notices have been served to all the 12.2 million electors across constituencies, asking them to submit documents to establish their eligibility and resolve discrepancies, officials said. Those whose details could not be mapped with the 2002 SIR rolls have been asked to submit documents to establish their eligibility for inclusion in the voters’ list, whereas those whose details contained discrepancies have been asked to submit documents to substantiate the corrections sought in notices issued to them.

November 10 set as deadline to submit supporting documents

Election officials have prepared lists of electors who have been unable to submit the required documents despite repeated follow-ups, and the office of the Chief Electoral Officer (CEO), Maharashtra, has begun publishing details of such electors on its website, officials said. Thus far, details have been published for more than 50 assembly constituencies across 12 districts, the officials noted.

In Mumbai, names of electors from four assembly constituencies have been published on the poll panel website. Among these, Malabar Hill has around 2,800 electors (against 39,054 served notices), Byculla has 1,460 (against 25,461 served notices), Dharavi has 1,420 (against 79,676 served notices), and Dahisar has more than 5,500 electors (against 68,927 served notices) who have yet to submit the required documents. In Amravati district, Badnera has 5,600 such electors (against 123,233 served notices), while Daryapur has 1,550 (against 56,456 served notices).

Booth-level agents asked to help electors meet deadline

Lists of electors who are yet to submit documents are also being shared with booth-level agents (BLAs) appointed by political parties, who can help such electors submit the necessary documents by November 10, a senior official said, requesting anonymity.

“We expect a maximum of 5% of the 12.2 million electors flagged in these categories – that is up to 500,000 electors – to be unable to submit the required documents and subsequently have their names deleted from the electoral rolls. Deletion from these categories has reduced significantly after we revised the guidelines for compliance,” the official added.

According to the official, more than 90% of the 12.2 million electors had been flagged for discrepancies or anomalies in their details, while the remaining could not be mapped to the 2002 SIR rolls.

Sandesh Kondvilkar, Maharashtra Congress general secretary, said political parties could have helped electors secure their inclusion in the electoral rolls if lists of those flagged for discrepancies or non-mapping had been shared with them earlier.

“Initially, we were denied access to the lists of electors who had been served notices over concerns regarding the confidentiality of personal information. Later, on September 22, the Chief Electoral Officer assured us that the lists would be shared within 15 days, but it took more than a month for them to be made available. Had the names been shared on time, our booth-level agents could have helped electors resolve the discrepancies,” he said.