Story perspectives

Odisha completes electoral roll revision, deleting 17.67 lakh

By Drooid · Sep 23, 2026, 4:32 PM UTC · How we work

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Deletions risk disenfranchisement

The Special Intensive Revision of Odisha’s electoral rolls was completed on Monday 21 September 2026, deleting about 17.67 lakh names and reducing the electorate to 3.16 crore.
Critics warned the massive deletions could disenfranchise legitimate voters and sway election outcomes.
Booth Level Officers gathered 3,13,87,034 enumeration forms, covering 93.97% of the electorate.
The 6.03% excluded included 8,32,544 deceased, 8,08,205 shifted, 1,58,118 duplicates, 1,99,249 absent.

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Officials tout efficiency

The Special Intensive Revision of Odisha’s electoral rolls was completed on Monday, 21 September 2026, deleting 17.67 lakh names and leaving 3.16 crore voters.
Election officials highlighted the process’s efficiency, noting only 6 % of entries were removed and praising staff for diligent, transparent execution.
The final roll lists 1.61 crore male, 1.54 crore female, and 2,774 third-gender voters.
The Biju Janata Dal asked for an extended claims period, citing floods that hampered verification.

History

Historical Context

Since the Election Commission of India introduced a special intensive revision in 2002, allowing enumerators to update and add voters, periodic roll clean-ups have become routine. A 2025 court order forced the Commission to publish over 6.5 million deleted names, and in May 2026 the Supreme Court upheld the nationwide Special Intensive Revision announced by CEC Gyanesh Kumar, which now includes Odisha.

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Deletions risk disenfranchisement

The Special Intensive Revision of Odisha’s electoral rolls was completed on Monday 21 September 2026, deleting about 17.67 lakh names and reducing the electorate to 3.16 crore.
Critics warned the massive deletions could disenfranchise legitimate voters and sway election outcomes.
Booth Level Officers gathered 3,13,87,034 enumeration forms, covering 93.97% of the electorate.
The 6.03% excluded included 8,32,544 deceased, 8,08,205 shifted, 1,58,118 duplicates, 1,99,249 absent.

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