Jairam Ramesh released a statement Monday demanding the Election Commission explain the removal of 7.8 crore names from the electoral roll during the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) that began in June 2025 across nine states.
SIR, the first comprehensive roll refresh in 22 years, ran in three phases: Phase‑1 in Bihar, Phase‑2 in November 2025 covering nine states and three Union Territories, and Phase‑3 mid‑2026 covering 16 states and three UTs. In the first two phases, 13% of the pre‑SIR roll—about 7.8 crore—were deleted, while Phase‑3 has already seen 6.18 crore deletions out of 36.06 crore, pushing the overall deletion rate beyond 17%.
Ramesh said the deletions disproportionately affect economically and socially disadvantaged voters, with women outnumbering men in most states. He cited Delhi’s 53.73% deletion rate and highlighted that no notice was issued to 5.43 crore voters for proof of eligibility, a risk that could raise the deletion rate to 32%.
The Election Commission maintains that SIR is a cleansing exercise to eliminate ineligible entries and duplicate names. It said it will defend the revisions in a hearing before the Supreme Court on October 15, 2026, and has requested that state governments provide additional documents to avoid further deletions.
Delhi released a public list of voters at risk on September 19, 2026, after pressure from civil‑society groups, but the list remains incomplete in several states, a move that Congress says shows selective transparency.