Parties in Uttar Pradesh gear up to enroll eligible voters amid deletion in draft rolls

Political parties in Uttar Pradesh are gearing up to enroll voters after 2.89 crore names were deleted from the draft rolls after the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) exercise.

Samajwadi Party (SP) president Akhilesh Yadav on Thursday (January 8, 2026) directed party leaders to conduct a thorough investigation at the booth-level, adding “we must all unite again to save every single vote”. The ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) also held meetings to identify eligible voters who were not on the list.

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The Election Commission had earlier announced that claims and objections on additions and deletions would be received from January 6 to February 6, with the publication of the final voter list scheduled on March 6.

“There must be a thorough investigation at every booth, and, with our slogan ‘Not a single vote should be cut’, we must all unite again to save every single vote. Remind every voter of the importance of having their names on the voter list,” Mr. Yadav wrote on X, calling upon SP workers to act as sentinels for the “PDA” (Pichda, Dalit, Alpashankhak), a term he uses to refer to the oppressed sections, Dalits and minorities.

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Mr. Yadav alleged that the BJP government might bring a law to say that those not on the voter lists would not be eligible for ration cards, government schemes, caste certificates, or reservation. He said, “Understand that having your name on the voter list is a sign of your citizenship.”

Nasser Salim, the SP spokesperson, said, “Citizens whose names may have been omitted from the draft rolls are being encouraged to verify their details through the official mechanism provided by the Election Commission and make use of the claims and objections process within the stipulated timeline. The SP is bringing about awareness through legal literacy initiatives, and engagement with election authorities strictly within the framework of electoral law to ensure that no eligible voter is inadvertently excluded.”

Mr. Salim added, “The appeal to unite to save every single vote must be understood in its true democratic spirit. It is a call for collective vigilance and responsibility among citizens, civil society, and all political stakeholders to safeguard the integrity of the electoral process. This unity is not about partisan interests but about ensuring that every eligible citizen is able to participate freely, fairly, and peacefully in elections. Encouraging voter awareness, checking enrolment status, and upholding constitutional values are essential components of a healthy democracy.”

Awareness drives

BJP spokesperson Rakesh Tripathi said, “Ever since the SIR exercise was announced, our State unit and workers encouraged people to submit their forms as per EC guidelines. We will continue to hold awareness drives to ensure no one is left out.”

Ajay Rai, Uttar Pradesh Congress president, told The Hindu that committees have been formed to run awareness drives across the State. “District-level monitoring committees of the Congress are working across 75 districts of U.P. To encourage voter addition and keep a check on any malpractices, our teams are holding meetings at the village level to make sure that all those who are eligible make it to the final draft,” said Mr. Rai.

The Election Commission on January 6 published the draft electoral rolls for Uttar Pradesh. There was a deletion of 2.89 crore (18.7 %) names from the 2025 voter list of the State. The number of names deleted in U.P. is the highest for any State or Union Territory in absolute numbers where the SIR has been conducted so far.