Bhubaneswar: The Odisha Chief Electoral Officer (CEO) has instructed all Electoral Registration Officers (EROs) to immediately stop indiscriminate deletions of voters and enforce rigorous verification procedures.
The move comes amid widespread complaints that eligible voters’ names were erroneously struck off electoral rolls during the ongoing elector mapping and revision process.
According to the Home (Elections) Department, approximately 9.8 lakh names have been deleted so far in the current exercise, marking a notable spike from the typical annual figure of around seven lakh removals, which are usually attributed to deaths, migration, duplication, or other standard reasons.
Earlier, in March, Chief Minister Mohan Majhi had informed the Assembly that approximately 7.68 lakh names were deleted between June 2025 and March 22, 2026, as part of routine revisions to maintain accuracy in voter lists.
Several cases, however, have come to light where deletions allegedly occurred without adequate verification, prompting concerns among voters and political observers about potential disenfranchisement ahead of future elections. In response, the department has placed nearly two lakh Form-7 applications (objections for deletion) received after April 2 on hold to prevent further hasty actions.
The fresh directive emphasises mandatory due diligence before any deletion. Key measures include:
>> Thorough verification for deletions, particularly for deceased voters, requiring Form-7 submissions from family members or relatives.
>> Issuance of notices to affected voters at their registered addresses.
>> Physical verification for at least 50% of recent Form-7 cases.
>> Immediate reinstatement of names found to have been wrongly deleted.
>> Thorough examination of all complaints received through official channels, including the toll-free helpline 1950.
The directive, marked as “most urgent,” instructs that updates to the electoral rolls should resume only after due verification is certified.
To address public concerns, the CEO’s office has activated a toll-free helpline (1950) for voters to check their status, raise issues, or seek assistance.
