Verify before deletions in electoral roll: Odisha CEO directs EROs

NEw new delhi: Odisha Chief Electoral ship's officer (CEO) R.S. Gopalan has ordered all Electoral enrollment Officers (EROs) crosswise the tell to undertake a proper verification before names of about 9.8 lakh voters deleted from the electoral rolls, officials aware of the matter said.The CEO has specifically asked them to put on hold the scrutiny of two lakh people who have lodged complaints of wrongful removal from the electoral roll. It is also directed to verify at least 50 per cent of the cases, an official said.Senior officials in the CEO’s office said that “a large number of complaints have been received, including cases where voters were found to be present at their addresses and instances where BLOs did not conduct field visits or proper verification before recommending deletions.”Speaking on the matter, Gopalan said, “The Booth Level Officers (BLOs) have identified around 9.8 lakh names across the state for deletion from the rolls on account of deaths and shifting of residences. They have submitted their reports on absent voters. However, the BLOs are not authorised to delete names from the electoral rolls. The EROs will take decisions in this regard.”He added, “EROs have been specifically instructed to ensure that at least 50% of objection cases are physically verified and that all prescribed procedures are followed before the rolls are updated.”“Usually, 7 to 9 lakh names are deleted from the lists every year in Odisha on account of deaths and shifting of residences. However, this time, around 9.8 lakh people have come under the scanner as the BLOs have already started the mapping process ahead of the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) exercise,” the CEO said.The officials said that the total number of voters flagged for deletion may touch the 10 lakh-mark once the mapping process is fully completed within three weeks.Reacting to this, Odisha Pradesh Congress Committee (OPCC) president Bhakta Charan Das demanded reverification of all flagged names, questioning the basis on which deletions were recommended. “They need to reverify because the names of many people have been deleted who have not died. Many people cannot find work here, so they go out to work — how can you snatch their rights?” Das said, adding that “the names of those who have been deleted are not from BJP’s vote bank.”BJD Rajya Sabha MP Sasmit Patra wrote to Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar, stating that the scale, pattern, and process underlying the proposed deletions raise “serious and substantive concerns.” Patra alleged that “the identification of electors for potential deletion significantly exceeds normal annual deletion patterns, indicating either systemic error or overbroad and potentially flawed identification criteria”.He urged the “Commission to depute an ECI team to Odisha, order a comprehensive state-wide reverification, and mandate public disclosure of constituency-wise deletion data.”The BJP’s Odisha unit did not respond to requests for comment on the matter.A letter issued by Additional Chief Electoral Officer-cum-Special Secretary Sushanta Kumar Mishra to the EROs stated, “I am directed to inform that approximately 9.8 lakh deletions have been carried out by the EROs since the commencement of the elector mapping process. However, a substantial number of complaints have been received regarding wrongful deletion of names, including cases where electors were found to be present and instances where BLOs had neither conducted field visits nor carried out proper verification prior to deletion.”In March, Chief Minister Mohan Charan Majhi had informed the assembly that approximately 7.68 lakh names were deleted from June 2025 to March 22 this year.The CEO’s office has activated a toll-free helpline (1950) for voters to check whether their names are on the lists or not, raise complaints or seek assistance, an official said.