For several residents of Jagdamba Camp in Malviya Nagar, the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of Delhi’s electoral rolls has raised questions about their voter status, residential records and the verification process.
Some have received notices questioning their place of residence, while others say their names have been removed from the electoral rolls or that they have been asked to submit fresh forms. Several residents say they submitted documents but received little clarity on the status of their cases.
Similar concerns have emerged in Okhla Vihar, where one family claims that the names of seven members have been removed from the voters’ list. In Bela Estate, families whose homes were demolished during flyover construction and who subsequently lost access to land they used for cultivation say they are now struggling to establish their voter status.
Several such instances have come to light during the exercise to revise voter rolls. By October 13, approximately 20 lakh cases had been resolved out of 33.1 lakh notices issued. However, the figure includes both cases in which voters’ details were verified for inclusion in the final roll and cases that were rejected. The number of resolved cases, therefore, does not by itself establish how many voters have secured their place on the electoral roll.
Delhi had approximately 1.45 crore electors before the revision began on June 30. The draft electoral roll published on August 31 contained around 97.5 lakh names, leaving approximately 47.5 lakh names from the draft list. Reported reasons for these omissions included deaths, duplication, relocation and voters who could not be traced. These figures relate to a different category from the 33.1 lakh electors who received notices and should not be treated as interchangeable.
Election officials have also begun re-verifying people excluded from the draft roll to identify eligible voters who may have been left out. The exercise makes it important to establish how individual cases are being reviewed and what happens when a resident disputes the reason recorded for their omission.
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The verification process was simplified following a September 26 Election Commission meeting. Changes included home visits by Booth Level Officers (BLOs) to collect documents, strengthened online hearing facilities and permission for family members to represent voters in certain cases. Some notices could also be disposed of without a hearing after a BLO submits a satisfactory verification report.
For residents who say they submitted documents but remain uncertain about their status, the key question is whether these measures have led to clear decisions on their individual cases.
Cases ‘resolved’
At Jagdamba Camp, Rukhsar, a BLO volunteer, said several cases sent for resolution had been disposed of, but the corresponding list had not yet been made available to residents.
According to Rukhsar, the list was expected to be released in November. She also said that cases involving voters whose names could not be mapped were at risk of deletion in the subsequent process. She added that residents whose cases remained unresolved had been asked to fill Form 6.
Rukhsar said, “Volunteers are repeatedly approaching residents to complete the verification process.” However, she claimed that some people were not submitting the required forms, leaving their cases incomplete.
Long-time residents flagged
Hansa Devi and Jai Singh, residents of Jagdamba Camp, say they are facing difficulties despite having lived in the area for decades.
Hansa has received a notice, but her case has reportedly not been resolved. Meanwhile, Singh has been asked to fill Form 6. He says his name has been removed from the voter list and that he has not yet completed the procedure required to apply for inclusion.
Singh told Patriot, “We have been living in Jagdamba Camp for the past 25-30 years, and all our documents are from Delhi. We do not have documents from Rajasthan, yet our status as voters here is being questioned despite having lived in this area for decades.”
According to their accounts, the notices or records indicate that they do not belong to the area or have shifted elsewhere. They say they have the necessary documents but still struggle to establish their residence.
Singh added, “I have not been able to complete the Form 6 process because my brother and sister-in-law passed away recently. I am still unsure when my case will be processed and whether my name will be restored to the electoral roll.”
Guddi and Jagdish Kumar, also residents of Jagdamba Camp, say they have filled out forms more than once but have not received clear information about the outcome. They question how their address can be disputed when they have lived there for years.
Jagdish, whose name was previously on the ASDD list, told Patriot, “If I do not belong to this area, then where do I belong? I am confused and keep following up on the SIR process almost every day, but I still have no clarity about my voting rights.”
Issues faced by tenants
Another issue raised by residents of Jagdamba Camp concerns people living in rented accommodation.
Some residents allege that landlords are not cooperating with the process of recording tenants’ names. They also claim that, in certain cases, local verification has been affected by concerns that tenants may move elsewhere.
According to these residents, “We have lived in the same locality for years and possess identity and address documents, but we are still facing difficulties getting our names included in the electoral rolls.”
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They also allege that some BLOs have expressed reluctance to include tenants because they might move to another location.
If verified, such cases would warrant scrutiny of how residence is assessed during the revision process and whether tenants are being given a clear opportunity to establish their eligibility.
In Okhla Vihar, one family reported that seven members’ names had been removed from the electoral rolls. A family member told Patriot that the deletions had taken place without the family being consulted. According to the member, the landlord had been speaking to the Booth Level Officer about the tenants living in the property.
“The BLO reportedly told our landlord to get the names of tenants removed from the voter list, saying that if they remained registered at the address, they might take loans or avail themselves of other benefits using the property’s address, which could create problems for the landlord. Our names were removed without even consulting us,” the family member said.
“How many years do we need to live in one place before we can be recognised as residents? We have our documents, yet our names have been removed without our knowledge. Why should tenants have to face this uncertainty simply because they do not own the houses they live in?” the family member asked.
The member also raised concerns about the difficulties faced by people who move to Delhi in search of work and a better livelihood but cannot afford to buy a house in the city.
“If people who do not own houses in Delhi cannot secure their place on the electoral rolls because they live on rent, where are they supposed to go? Many of us have left our homes and sold what we had to settle in a city like Delhi. If we cannot register as voters where we live now, then where do we belong?” the family member said.
The family’s account alone could not establish the allegations about the landlord’s interaction with the BLO or the reasons for the deletions. The matter requires verification through the relevant electoral records and responses from the landlord and election officials.
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Living in uncertainty
In Bela Estate, families whose homes were demolished during flyover construction are now living beneath it in makeshift shelters. Residents said they had also lost access to the land they once used for cultivation in 2021. Now, they face uncertainty over their voting rights, as they have been told that a new electoral list will be prepared.
“Our houses were demolished, and we now live under the flyover because we have nowhere else to go. We have been told that a new list will be prepared, but we have been voters here for years. We have documents dating back to 1995, so why are we being treated as new voters?” remarked a resident.
The families said they were worried that their long-standing voter status was not being adequately recognised because they no longer had permanent homes. They questioned why the absence of a house should create uncertainty over their place on the electoral rolls when they had documents dating back decades.
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Question of re-enrolment
For several residents in the areas covered by this report, being asked to fill Form 6 has become another source of uncertainty. Some say they have voted before or possess older electoral documents and do not understand why they are being asked to apply for inclusion again.
Form 6 is the application for fresh enrolment, while Form 8 is used for correcting details in an existing entry.
The distinction matters for residents who believe their names have been wrongly omitted. Election officials need to clarify why Form 6 is required in each case, how they consider earlier registration records, and how applicants can challenge a decision they believe is incorrect.
The revised schedule gives voters until October 30 to file claims and objections. The deadline for disposing of notices, claims and objections is November 30, while publication of the final electoral roll is scheduled for December 4.
