The conclusion of the Election Commission’s Special Intensive Revision (SIR) exercise in Nagpur district has raised serious questions over the way voters’ verification was carried out. More than 14 lakh voters have been marked as ‘uncollectable’. The figure has left political parties, social organisations and voters concerned about what happened during the nearly 45-day verification exercise. Data released by the District Election Office shows that 14,44,015 voters were categorised as uncollectable. This is nearly one-third of the total electorate in the district. Sources and observers said the large number of uncollectable voters cannot be blamed only on the voters. They claimed that many voters may have failed to contact Booth Level Officers (BLOs). But they also raised a basic question: What efforts did the BLOs make when voters could not be contacted on their phone numbers?

 

 

The SIR exercise was supposed to involve intensive house-to-house verification. BLOs were expected to reach voters at their addresses and collect the required Enumeration Forms. However, sources claimed that in many places the process was different. Instead of visiting every house, BLOs allegedly remained at their designated offices or camps and contacted voters on the phone numbers mentioned in the electoral rolls. This created a major problem. People often change their phone numbers. A number that was recorded in the electoral roll years ago may no longer be in use. If a voter did not answer or the number was not reachable, the BLOs should have made efforts to contact the person at the address mentioned in the electoral roll, sources said. According to observers, this simple issue appears to have been overlooked by the machinery handling the SIR exercise. If a phone number did not work, the voter should not automatically have become ‘uncollectable’. The BLO could have visited the address, spoken to neighbours or made another attempt to contact the voter.

 

 

Sources alleged that senior Revenue officials assigned to complete the exercise appeared more focused on meeting targets and completing the process within the given time. The concern, they said, was whether the exercise was actually reaching every voter. “The focus appeared to be on completing the exercise. What happened to voters who could not be contacted was not given enough attention,” sources said. The issue becomes more serious because the right to vote is directly linked to a person’s name in the electoral roll.

 

 

Several residents also alleged that the SIR exercise gradually shifted from door-to-door verification to a camp-based system. Many voters said they were asked to visit designated camps or contact the BLO themselves to submit their forms. Senior citizens, working people and those with mobility problems were particularly affected. The issue has already reached the judiciary. The Nagpur Bench of the Bombay High Court recently sought responses from election authorities over complaints regarding the SIR exercise in Nagpur North and Nagpur West constituencies. Questions have also been raised over the awareness campaign. The election authorities had announced that messages about SIR would be played through garbage collection vehicles operated by the Nagpur Municipal Corporation. However, residents in several areas said they did not notice such a campaign. As a result, many voters were reportedly unaware of the deadlines, documents required and verification process until the final days. 

 

 

A shortage of manpower also affected the exercise. Additional Revenue Department staff were later deployed, but political workers and voters alleged that the move came too late. Frequent changes in polling stations and booth mapping also created confusion. Some voters said they could not even find the BLO assigned to their area.

 

 

Election authorities have maintained that no voter will be deleted automatically. The draft electoral rolls will be published on August 24. Voters whose names are missing, wrongly entered, shifted or proposed for deletion can file claims and objections before the Electoral Registration Officer from August 24 to September 23. Officials have said every claim and objection will be examined and field verification will be carried out before a final decision. For the 14.44 lakh uncollectable voters, this period will be crucial. The coming weeks will show whether the SIR exercise improves the electoral rolls or leaves a large number of genuine voters struggling to prove their right to vote.