Election Commission Strikes 47.5 Lakh Names Off Delhi Draft Voter List
Nearly one in three registered voters across Delhi has been struck off the draft electoral roll published by the Election Commission on Monday following the completion of the special intensive revision enumeration exercise.
According to the draft roll, Delhi's electorate now stands at 97.5 lakh, down from 1.4 crore at the beginning of the exercise in June. A total of 47.56 lakh electors, representing 32.8% of the electorate, were removed because enumeration forms could not be collected during house-to-house verification.
The exclusion is not permanent. Registered electors whose names were omitted can submit claims for inclusion until September 30. These applications will undergo scrutiny and verification before the final electoral roll is published on November 4.
Election officials stated that booth level officers made at least three visits to registered addresses between June 30 and August 17 to distribute and collect enumeration forms. Uncollected forms were categorised under the ASDDO classification—absent, shifted, dead, duplicate, and others. Of the 47.56 lakh excluded electors, 43.32 lakh were categorised as permanently shifted, 2.82 lakh as deceased, and 1.41 lakh as duplicate entries.
Across the city, 97.53 lakh enumeration forms—67.2% of the electorate—were collected and digitised. The draft roll includes 49.88 lakh men, 47.64 lakh women, and 447 third-gender electors. It also features 1.03 lakh voters aged 18–19 years, 40,871 voters aged 85 and above, and 189 electors aged 100 or older.
Among the city's 70 assembly constituencies, Matiala registered the largest electorate with 3,33,057 voters and 430 polling stations, while Delhi Cantt recorded the smallest electorate with 41,654 voters and 90 polling stations.
The publication has triggered sharp political reactions. Aam Aadmi Party chief Arvind Kejriwal criticised the process on X, questioning the reduction in numbers. Delhi BJP president Harsh Malhotra defended the exercise, stating that every genuine and eligible voter who submitted forms was included, while duplicate entries were removed.
During the ongoing notice and verification phase continuing through October 29, 70 electoral registration officers and 297 assistant electoral registration officers will scrutinise eligibility where details could not be linked or show discrepancies. Voters can submit Form 6 for new enrolment, Form 6A for overseas voters, Form 7 for objections or deletions, and Form 8 for residential shifting or corrections through physical offices or online platforms.
