After 9.8 lakh voter deletions in Odisha, BJD MP urges EC to address ‘serious concerns’

Biju Janata Dal (BJD) leader and Rajya Sabha member Sasmit Patra on Tuesday (April 21, 2026) urged the Election Commission of India (EC) to ensure that voters’ names are not deleted without a rigorous, documented and independently verifiable field inquiry.

The development comes a day after reports citing a letter from Odisha’s Chief Electoral Officer (CEO) R.S. Gopalan to Electoral Registration Officers on April 18, on the removal of 9.8 lakh voters from the State electoral roll since the commencement of the elector mapping process ahead of the special intensive revision exercise.