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New Delhi, September 21, 2026 (Yes Punjab News)

The Congress on Monday urged the Election Commission of India (ECI) to address concerns over the possibility of voters' names being deleted from electoral rolls during the ongoing Special Intensive Revision (SIR), with party General Secretary in-charge of communications Jairam Ramesh describing the exercise as a “Method of Disenfranchising Indians”.

Ramesh said the issue was not the notices issued to prominent or influential individuals, who he claimed would be able to get their names included, but the difficulties that ordinary voters could face in establishing their eligibility.

“CEO Delhi has issued a press release on notices being sent to VIP electors and prominent individuals during the ongoing SIR. However, the issue is not about influential persons who will find a way to have their names included, but the vast majority who will struggle to do so,” he said in a post on X.

Ramesh claimed that 54 per cent of voters in Delhi had either been deleted or faced the risk of deletion. He also claimed that 5.43 crore voters across 14 states and Union Territories had received notices seeking additional documentation to retain their names on the electoral rolls.

According to Ramesh, voters from economically and socially disadvantaged sections, including slum dwellers, low-income groups and women, were disproportionately affected. He further claimed that more than six crore names had been removed during the enumeration phase and questioned why another 5.4 crore voters were now facing the possibility of deletion.

The Congress leader also criticized the non-publication of lists of voters facing deletion risks in some states, calling for such lists to be released immediately.

Meanwhile, Delhi Chief Electoral Officer Ashok Kumar clarified that receiving a notice does not mean that an elector's name will automatically be deleted from the final electoral roll.

The CEO said eligible persons whose names do not appear in the Draft Electoral Roll can file Form 6 with supporting documents during the claims and objections period, which continues until September 30. Applications can be submitted offline to the ERO, AERO or BLO, or online through the ECI's Voters' Services Portal and ECINET mobile application. The ECI's Voters' Services Portal provides facilities for checking and managing electoral registration details.

The Congress has continued to question the SIR process, while the Election Commission has maintained that the revision is aimed at updating electoral rolls and identifying ineligible or duplicate entries while ensuring eligible voters are included.