"People's names removed on large scale": SP's Ravidas Mehrotra on UP SIR draft voter list

Lucknow (Uttar Pradesh) [India], January 7 (ANI): Samajwadi Party leader Ravidas Mehrotra expressed concern over the removal of 2.89 crore voters from the Uttar Pradesh Special Intensive Revision (SIR) draft voter list and urged the Election Commission to initiate the process of registering new voters.
Speaking with ANI, Ravidas Mehrotra said, "After the implementation of the SIR in the state, names of 2.89 crore people have been removed from the list of voters... Apart from the names that have been removed from the voter list, no other name has been added. The Election Commission's job is to include the names of every voter in the list. But on a large scale, people's names have been removed from the voter list."
"The Election Commission should ensure that the process for filing Form 6 is initiated. Mapping for more than 8 per cent of people has not been completed. EC should send them a notice and give them time to fill the form," he added.
Earlier, Congress Uttar Pradesh President Ajay Rai alleged a "big conspiracy" in the removal of voters and demanded a thorough probe into the matter.
Speaking in Lucknow to ANI, Rai said, "The removal of 2.89 crore voters (from UP SIR draft list) is a matter of inquiry. 1.13 crore forms, which were not returned. This is a big conspiracy, and a probe should be done."
Echoing similar concerns, Congress MP Pramod Tiwari in Prayagraj said nearly three crore voters being dropped from the list amounted to a "murder of democracy".
"The worry the Congress party had expressed has proved correct. Names of around three crore voters have been removed. This is a murder of democracy. No matter what the BJP does, it is certain that the BJP will be wiped out from UP," Tiwari said to ANI.
Uttar Pradesh Chief Electoral Officer (CEO) on Tuesday announced the publication of the draft electoral roll following the completion of the Enumeration Phase of Special Intensive Revision (SIR) in the state. A total of 2.89 crore names were deleted from the draft voter list.
Addressing the press, Navdeep Rinwa said, "The number of enumeration forms we received was approximately 12 crore, 55 lakh. This means that this many people returned the forms signed, indicating that their names should be included in the draft list. There were 46.23 lakh such deceased voters. There are 2.17 crore voters who have migrated, those who have shifted from their place of residence, who have left the house where they were residing when they registered their name in the voter list, and have permanently moved, or are missing or absent, or could not be found by the BLOs in the field. There were 25.47 lakh voters whose names were registered in more than one place on the voter list. In total, 2.89 crore names were not included in the draft voter list."
A total of 12,55,56,025 electors, out of a total of 15,44,30,092 electors, as per the Electoral Roll on October 27, 2025, have submitted their Enumeration Forms till December 26, 2025, reflecting an overwhelming participation in the first phase of SIR, according to the CEO.
The claims and objections period has been set for January 6, 2026, to February 6, 2026. Any existing or prospective elector may file claims or objections for inclusion of eligible electors or deletion of ineligible names. A total of 403 EROs and 2042 AEROs are in position to scrutinise such cases by February 27, 2026. In addition to that, Additional AEROs have been notified as per the requirement to dispose off the claims and objections, within the prescribed time limit. (ANI)