BJD MP Sasmit Patra raises concerns over alleged deletion of 9.8 lakh voters in Odisha

Biju Janata Dal BJD Rajya Sabha MP Sasmit Patra on Tuesday raised serious concerns about the possible deletion of nearly 98 lakh voters in Odisha The issue is linked to the ongoing Special Intensive Revision SIR of electoral rolls in the state reported ANI98 lakh electors deleted in preSIR exercise in Odisha BJD MP Sasmit Patra urges inquiry transparency Read ANI Story httpstcorKNysi5A0s SasmitPatra Odisha SIR pictwittercomVbdlJREgIwmdash ANI Digital ani_digital April 21 2026In a letter addressed to Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar Patra urged the Election Commission to ensure that no voter is removed without proper inquiry and transparency reported ANIConcerns over process and transparencyPatra said that while updating electoral rolls is important the scale and method of the current exercise are worrying He noted ldquoapproximately 98 lakh electors have been identified for potential deletionhellip the scale pattern and process raise serious concernsrdquoHe also claimed there is early evidence suggesting possible irregularities According to him there is a ldquoreal risk of wrongful disenfranchisementrdquo meaning eligible voters could be removed unfairlyOne of the key concerns raised was about the role of Booth Level Officers Patra alleged that in several cases proper physical verification was not carried out before marking voters for deletion He wrote that such lapses ldquoconstitute a deviation from established electoral procedures and raise serious questions about the integrity of the processrdquoSurge in complaints and objectionsThe BJD MP highlighted that a large number of objections have already been filed by voters Around 2 lakh complaints under Form 7 were reportedly submitted in a short periodThis surge in grievances even forced authorities to temporarily pause scrutiny indicating widespread public concern about possible errors in the voter list revisionReference to similar issues in other statesPatra also pointed out that similar voter deletion concerns in other states have drawn attention from the judiciary Courts have stressed the need for transparency due process and easy access to correction mechanisms for voters as per the news agencyHe warned that without proper safeguards the current exercise could lead to the unintended exclusion of eligible votersKey demands to the Election CommissionIn his letter Patra made several recommendations to the Election Commission of India including No final deletion without proper and verifiable field inquiry A fresh statewide reverification of all flagged cases Public disclosure of detailed data on proposed deletions Independent audits in districts with large discrepancies Stronger grievance redressal systems for affected voters A detailed response from the Commission on corrective steps Deployment of an Election Commission team to review the situation in Odisha Ongoing electoral roll revision exerciseThe Special Intensive Revision process in Odisha began earlier this month with voter list updates expected in the third phaseAfter Phase I was completed in Bihar Phase II of the exercise has been extended to several states including Chhattisgarh Goa Gujarat Kerala Madhya Pradesh Rajasthan Tamil Nadu Uttar Pradesh and West Bengal along with Union Territories such as Andaman and Nicobar Islands Lakshadweep and PuducherryThe Special Intensive Revision process in Odisha began earlier this month with voter list updates expected in the third phaseWith ANI Inputs