Delhi's Chief Electoral Officer has initiated a Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of the Capital's electoral rolls, resulting in verification notices being sent to 3.31 million voters. This extensive exercise includes prominent political figures such as Delhi Chief Minister Rekha Gupta and former Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal, whose details are now under review.
Mass Verification Underway
The notices, totaling 33.1 lakh, were issued following identified discrepancies or an inability to link electors with the previous intensive revision of the electoral roll. According to official data released on September 19, nearly 1.38 million electors could not be mapped to prior records, while an additional 1.93 million voters were flagged due to “logical discrepancies” in their enumeration forms.
These discrepancies often involve inconsistencies in names, dates of birth, or other personal information. It is crucial to note that these notices do not signify the deletion of names from the electoral roll. Instead, affected electors are required to submit necessary documents or appear for a verification process to confirm their eligibility and ensure their inclusion in the final roll.
High-Profile Scrutiny: CM Gupta and Kejriwal
Among the high-profile individuals receiving notices is Delhi CM Rekha Gupta, registered in the Shalimar Bagh Assembly constituency. Her case initially involved an apparent age gap concern between her and her parents. However, the Electoral Registration Officer for Shalimar Bagh confirmed that her documents and details have since been verified, and her entry will be retained in the final electoral roll.
Former Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal and his family members, including his wife Sunita Kejriwal, son Pulkit Kejriwal, and parents Gobind Ram Kejriwal and Gita Devi, were listed under the “no mapping” category. Officials from the New Delhi constituency stated that their submitted enumeration forms lacked sufficient details to link them with previous electoral rolls from their respective states. The Election Commission has clarified that their names have not been removed, and the notices are solely for verification purposes.
Political Reaction and Timeline
The widespread issuance of notices has sparked a political dispute, with the Aam Aadmi Party publicly questioning the notice sent to its national convenor, Arvind Kejriwal. Election officials, however, maintain that this process is a routine and standard part of the SIR exercise to ensure the accuracy and integrity of the voter database.
The period for issuing and disposing of these notices is scheduled from August 31 to October 29. The final electoral roll for Delhi is slated for publication on November 4, following the completion of all verification and resolution processes.