Full Breakdown
Election Commissioner and Prominent Figures Served Notices in Delhi’s Special Intensive Revision
By Drooid · · How we work
Core Event: Notices Issued Over Name Discrepancies
During the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls in Delhi, Election Commissioner Sukhbir Singh Sandhu and several senior officials—including External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar, former Deputy Prime Minister L. K. Advani, and top IAS officers—received system-generated notices flagging “self name mismatch,” “unmapped with last SIR,” or similar discrepancies between current enumeration forms and the 2002 revision records.
Background & Context
SIR is a centrally coordinated verification exercise that uses the ECINET portal to compare voter-submitted details with the 2002 intensive revision. Rolled out across 30 states and Union Territories, it aims to correct data errors before the final roll is published. Under paragraph 4(b) of the May 14 instructions, names of public representatives, judges, and other distinguished persons are automatically retained in the draft roll but remain subject to verification if mismatches are detected.
Timeline
- August 31 – Draft roll released after removing 47.56 lakh ineligible entries.
- August 31 – September 19 – 84,263 Form-6 applications and additional Form-6A, Form-7, and Form-8 submissions received.
- September 21 – Notice to Election Commissioner S. S. Sandhu reported as a procedural step.
- September 30 – Deadline for claims and objections; disposal scheduled by October 29.
- October 29 – Planned completion of notice disposal; validated names to be included in the final roll.
- October 30 – Deadline for electors whose names have been flagged or deleted to file further objections.
- November 4 – Publication of the final electoral roll for Delhi Cantt. (AC-38) and other constituencies.
Data & Statistics
- Form-6 (new voter inclusion) applications: 84,263.
- Form-6A, Form-7, Form-8 applications: 174, 1,396, and 29,705 respectively.
- Notices generated: one Delhi CEO bulletin cites 31.63 lakh notices; another report lists 33.13 lakh notices.
- Affected electors: between 31.63 lakh (? 3.16 million) and 33.13 lakh (? 3.31 million) voters, including senior bureaucrats and former office-holders.
Official Statements & Responses
The Delhi Chief Electoral Officer stressed that a notice does not imply deletion from the roll. Electors may submit supporting documents to the Electoral Registration Officer or Booth Level Officer and receive a “speaking and appealable order” before any name can be removed. The list of required documents is “only indicative, not exhaustive,” and each case will be decided on its merits after reviewing the submission and the BLO’s report. The May 14 instruction mandates inclusion of flagged personalities in the draft roll pending verification, underscoring the procedural nature of the notices.
Criticism & Opposition
Kapil Sibal, senior Parliamentarian, called the SIR a “special intensive deletion” of votes, arguing that the large-scale issuance of notices threatens voter enfranchisement. His remarks reflect broader concerns that the algorithm-driven process may disproportionately affect high-profile voters.
Conflicting Reports & Gaps
Notice totals differ: one communication mentions 31.63 lakh notices, while another reports 33.13 lakh notices, both attributed to the Delhi CEO. The specific reasons for each notice (e.g., “parent name mismatch,” “unmapped with last SIR”) are not uniformly disclosed, leaving gaps in public understanding of how many stem from typographical errors versus substantive mismatches.
What’s Next
- All notices must be addressed by electors before October 29, after which EROs will finalize decisions.
- Electors whose names remain flagged have until October 30 to file additional objections.
- Validated entries will be incorporated into the final roll scheduled for publication on November 4.
- Service camps are planned for mid-September at polling stations to assist voters in submitting required documentation.