Odisha: Over 20 lakh names deleted from draft electoral roll

Odisha's draft electoral roll has been revised, excluding over 20 lakh voters: 8.32 lakh deceased, 10.07 lakh shifted, and 1.58 lakh duplicate registrations. BJD chief Naveen Patnaik discussed the matter with party leaders.

BJD president and former Odisha Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik on Monday held discussions with senior party leaders at Naveen Nivas on the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) and organisational matters.

Over 20 Lakh Voters Excluded from Draft Roll

On July 6, around 8.32 lakh deceased voters, 10.07 lakh shifted or permanently absent voters, and 1.58 lakh duplicate registrations have been excluded from the draft electoral roll in Odisha.

Additional Chief Electoral Officer Sushanta Kumar Mishra said nearly 14,000 voters could not be included as their enumeration forms were not received. "The first category is about those who are dead or deceased. Around 8.32 lakh voters are dead, so their names have been deleted. Another 10.07 lakh voters are either shifted or permanently absent. There is one more category where voters have been registered in two different places or more than one place. About 1.58 lakh voters are registered in more than one place. In the case of around 14,000 voters, we could not receive the enumeration forms back. That is the reason why we are not able to include them in the draft list," Mishra said.

Claims, Objections and Final Publication

He added that eligible voters can file claims and objections until August 4, while hearings on the applications will be completed by September 2. "For these people, we have another month during which they can submit their claims and objections, and the hearings will be completed by 2nd September. We have two months during which they can provide information, submit applications, and raise any claims or objections they want. The period for raising claims and objections will be up to 4th August," Sushanta Kumar Mishra said.

The draft electoral roll was published on July 5, 2026. The state authorities have maintained that the exercise is part of a transparent and inclusive effort to maintain an updated electoral database. The final electoral roll for Odisha is scheduled to be published on September 6, following a thorough verification of all claims and objections. (ANI)

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