Raipur
The State Election Commission expects a rise in the number of voters in Chhattisgarh following the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) programme. Over 2.74 lakh people have submitted applications to re-include their names in the electoral roll after the commission removed approximately 27.34 lakh entries during a verification drive.
State Election Commissioner Yashwant Kumar stated that the SIR process aims to create an error-free voter list to ensure transparency during elections. The commission had earlier released a draft list citing a total of 2,12,30,737 voters in the state.
Verification drive details
The physical verification process commenced on 7 November and lasted 45 days. Booth Level Officers conducted door-to-door visits to verify the status of voters. Following this exercise, the commission removed names based on the following data:
- Total names removed: 27,34,817
- Deceased voters: 6,42,234
- Duplicate entries: 1,75,000
- Shifted or absent voters: 19,13,540
Timeline for claims and objections
The commission has provided an opportunity for those excluded to file claims and objections. People whose names are missing from the draft list can submit applications until 22 January 2026.
Schedule:
- Submission of claims and objections: 23 December 2025 to 22 January 2026
- Hearing and verification: 23 December 2025 to 14 February 2026
- Publication of final voter list: 21 February 2026
Focus on transparency
Election officials confirmed that over 2.74 lakh residents have already submitted Form-7 to contest the removal of their names. The commission will restore these names to the final list after thorough scrutiny of the applications.
State Election Commissioner Yashwant Kumar has directed all district collectors and election officers to keep the process simple and transparent. He urged citizens to check their names in the draft list and apply within the deadline if they find any discrepancies.
