Lucknow | January 6, 2026

The Election Commission of India (ECI) is set to publish the draft electoral rolls of Uttar Pradesh on Tuesday as part of the ongoing Special Intensive Revision (SIR) exercise, a move that could lead to the deletion of nearly 2.9 crore names from the state’s voter list. The development has drawn significant political attention due to the scale of the proposed changes and their potential impact on future elections.

According to official estimates, around 28.9 million voters are likely to be removed from the rolls. This figure accounts for nearly 18.7% of the total electorate recorded in the voter list published in October 2025. At that time, Uttar Pradesh had approximately 154.4 million registered voters, making it the largest electoral base in the country.

Officials said that urban areas are expected to see the highest number of deletions. Districts such as Ghaziabad, where nearly 36.7% of voters may be dropped, are among the most affected. Other major urban centres likely to see large deletions include Lucknow with about 30.9%, Kanpur Nagar at 25.6%, Prayagraj at 25.3%, Meerut at 25.2%, and Agra at 23.6%. The trend suggests higher voter mobility and verification challenges in cities compared to rural areas.

The SIR enumeration process in Uttar Pradesh began on November 4 and was originally scheduled to end earlier but was extended multiple times. The final round of enumeration concluded on December 26, following three phases of field verification. During this period, booth-level officers conducted door-to-door checks and collected enumeration forms to verify voter details.

Data released during the exercise shows that the number of “uncollectible voters” stood at 2.96 crore as of December 11, when the second phase of enumeration ended. This number reduced slightly to 2.89 crore after the third phase concluded on December 26, indicating some improvement but still pointing to a large gap in verified voter records.

Of the voters marked as uncollectible, officials said around 12.9 million were found to have permanently shifted to other locations. Another 4.6 million were identified as deceased, while 2.54 million names were flagged as duplicates. About 7.95 million voters were listed as untraceable despite repeated attempts at verification. In addition, nearly 7.7 lakh voters did not return their enumeration forms even after collecting them from booth-level officers.

The ECI had revised the schedule for publishing the draft electoral rolls several times. Initially announced on October 27, the draft was first scheduled for release on December 9. This was later postponed to December 16, then to December 31, and finally to January 6, citing the need to complete verification and address logistical challenges.

Under the revised timetable issued on December 30, the notice period, verification of enumeration forms, and the disposal of claims and objections will take place from January 6 to February 6, 2026. Citizens will have the opportunity during this period to check their names in the draft rolls and file claims if their names are missing or objections if incorrect entries are found. The final electoral roll for Uttar Pradesh is scheduled to be published on March 6, 2026.

The scale of potential deletions has sparked political reactions across parties. Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath had earlier expressed concern over the large number of missing voters. Addressing party workers in mid-December, he pointed out that with a population of around 25 crore, nearly 65% should be eligible voters, translating to roughly 16 crore voters. He warned that many of the missing names could belong to supporters of his party and urged workers to remain alert.

Opposition parties have also called for vigilance. Samajwadi Party president Akhilesh Yadav asked party workers to closely monitor the SIR process, especially at the booth level. He urged them to ensure that eligible voters whose names are missing are included during the claims and objections period.

As the draft rolls are published, election officials have reiterated that the revision exercise aims to improve accuracy and remove ineligible entries. At the same time, they have encouraged voters to check their details carefully to ensure that no eligible voter is left out of the final list.

 Uttar Pradesh Draft Electoral Rolls to Be Released Under Special Intensive Revision, Nearly 2.9 Crore Names Face Possible Deletion

The Election Commission of India is set to release the draft electoral rolls of Uttar Pradesh today under the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) process. The move could lead to the removal of nearly 2.9 crore names, which is around 18.7% of the total voters listed in October 2025. At that time, the state had about 15.44 crore registered voters.

Urban areas are expected to see the highest number of deletions. Districts like Ghaziabad, Lucknow, Kanpur Nagar, Prayagraj, Meerut, and Agra are among the most affected, mainly due to migration, duplicate entries, and verification issues common in cities.

The SIR exercise began on November 4 and concluded on December 26 after multiple extensions. During this period, booth-level officers carried out door-to-door verification to confirm voter details. Data shows that among the voters marked for possible deletion, many were found to have permanently shifted, some were deceased, others had duplicate entries, while a large number remained untraceable. Over seven lakh voters also failed to return enumeration forms.

The Election Commission has set January 6 to February 6, 2026, as the period for claims and objections. Voters can check the draft list and apply to add or correct their names. The final voter list will be published on March 6, 2026.

Political parties have urged supporters to stay alert and ensure no eligible voter is left out.